
History Stories 

Georgia 



CHi^PPELL 




Ciass F_^K2_ 

Book ^G H fo 



Copviight}!^ 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 




^4^^^^&^ 



STORIES OW THE STATES 

GEORGIA HISTORY 
STORIES 



BY 

J. HARRIS CHAPPELL, Ph.D. 

PRESIDENT OF THE GEORGIA NORMAL 
AND INDUSTRIAL COLLEGE. 



ILLUSTRATED 




SILVER, BURDETT AND COMPANY 

NEW YORK ATLANTA BOSTON DALLAS CHICAGO 



HlBRARY of CONGRESS 
(wo Oopiea rtucaivea 

IVIAR Al iyi)5 

/ 6 <\ 1 (» <5 
COPY 



Copyright, 1905, by 
SILVER, BURDETT AND COMPANY. 



To My Mother 
Mrs. Loretto Lamar Chappell 

A native and life-long Georgian, now in her eighty- 
seventh year, this little book about the State 
and the people she loves so well is 
affectionately dedicated. 



PREFACE. 



In this book the author has undertaken to relate 
what seemed to him to be the most interesting events in 
the history of Georgia, from the planting of the colony 
in 1733 to the years immediately preceding the War of 
Secession. The narrative, as a rule, is adapted to children 
from twelve to fifteen years of age ; however, the author 
believes that it will be interesting reading for grown 
people, and for youths of some maturity. In several 
instances the author has found that the subjects treated 
could not be well presented in the form of children's 
stories. Such is especially the case with nearly all that 
is contained in Part III, the Development Period. 

In preparing this volume the author has read and 
studied with the utmost care a great many books bear- 
ing on Georgia's history. He has also done much 
original investigation. His aim above all things has 
been to make his work authentic and reliable. While 
he has tried to write in an attractive style, he has re- 
frained from trifling with his subject — a fault too com- 
mon with many writers of the so-called history stories 
of the day. 

The following are the principal sources from which 



vi Preface. 

the facts and information contained in this vohime are 
derived : 

History of Georgia to 1798. By Rev. W. B. Stevens. 2 vols. 
Philadelphia, 1859. 

History of Georgia to end of American RevQlution. By C. C. 
Jones. 2 vols. Boston, 188:5. 

James Oglethorpe. By Henry Bruce. New York, 1890. 

History of Alabama. By Albert J. Pickett. Charleston, 1851. 

Miscellanies of Georgia. By Absalom H. Chappell. Colum- 
bus, 1874. 

Story of Georgia and the Georgia People. By Rev. G. G. 
Smith. Macon, 1900. 

Historical Collections of Georgia. By Rev. George White. 
New York, 1854. 

The Sahburgers. By P. A. Strobel. Baltimore, 1855. 

Tomo-chi-chi, Mico of the Vamacrazi'S. By C. C. Jones. Sa- 
vannah, 1876. 

Dead Towns of Georgia. By C. C. Jones. Savannah, 1878. 

School History of Georgia. By Lawton B. Evans. New 
York, 1898. 

School History of Georgia. By Charles H. Smith. Boston, 
1896. 

Stories of Georgia. By Joel Chandler Harris. New York, 
1S96. 

Life of Gen. James Jackson. By Thomas M. P. Charlton. 
Augusta, 1809. 

Life of George M. Troup. By E. J. Harden. Savannah, 1840. 

Case of the Cherokee Indians Against the State of Georgia. 
By Richard Peters. Philadelphia, 1831. 

. Qeorgia and State Rights. By Ulrich B. Phillips. Washing- 
ton, 1902. 



Preface. vii 

Memories of Fifty Years. By W. H. Sparks. Philadelphia, 
1870. 

Rceolleetions of a Georgia Loyalist. By Elizabeth L. John- 
stone. New York, 1901. 

Historical Sketches of Colonial Florida. By Richard L. Camp- 
bell. Cleveland, 1892. 

Historical Record of Savannah. By F. D. Lee and J. L. 
Agnew. Savannah, 1869. 

American State Papers (numerous volumes). 

Old Pamphlets on Georgia Colonial history. 

The author is also indebted to that scholarly gentle- 
man, Mr. Otis Ashmore, Superintendent of Schools, 
Savannah, for valuable aid; to Mrs. J. J. Wilder, Sa- 
vannah. President of the Society of Colonial Dames of 
Georgia, and ^Irs. R. E. Park, Atlanta, Ex-Regent of 
the Georgia Daughters of the American Revolution, for 
information on particular points; and to numerous per- 
sons in different parts of Georgia for their prompt and 
satisfactory answers to special questions addressed to 
them. 

The author hopes his book will prove instructive and 
interesting both to the youth and to the adults of 
Georgia, and that it may be found valuable as a supple- 
mentary reader in the schools of the State. 

J. Harris Chappell. 

Milledgeville, Ga., September, 1904. 



CONTENTS 



Part I.— COLONIAL PERIOD^ 



Page. 



Chapter L James Oglethorpe. 

L Oglethorpe's Early Career 1 

IL Oglethorpe's Georgia Colony Enterprise .... 7 

Chapter IL Founding of Savannah. 

I. Seeking a Location 13 

II. Planting the Colony 19 

Chapter III. Tomo-chi-chi, Mico of the Yamacraws. 



I. Tomo-chi-ch 
II. Tomo-chi-ch 



IV. Tomo-chi-ch 



s Treaty with Oglethorpe .... 27 
's Visit to England 33 



III. Tomo-chi-chi's Religious Views 39 



's Florida Expedition 42 



V. Tomo-chi-chi's Death and Burial 49 

Chapter IV. The Salzburgers. 

I. Persecution in Austria 54 

II. Emigration to Georgia 57 

III. Old Ebenezer 61 

IV. New Ebenezer 64 

Chapter V. The Highlanders 74 

Chapter VI. Frederica 79 

Chapter VII. The Spanish War. 

I. Preparations for the War 87 

II. Siege of St. Augustine 92 

III. Battle of St. Simon's Sound OS 

IV. Bloody Marsh 102 

Chapter VIII. "Non Sibi Sed Aliis" ....... 109 



X Contents. 

Part i I— REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD. 

Page. 

Chapter IX. The Stamp Act in Georgia 119 

Chapter X. Capture of Savannah. 

I. Arrival of the British Fleet 131 

II. Quash Dolly and the Flank Movement 137 

Chapter XL Three Georgia Tories. 

I. Thomas Brown . . , . . 145 

II. Daniel McGirth 151 

III. Colonel Grierson 155 

Chapter XII. Three Georgia Patriots. 

1. Elijah Clarke 157 

II. James Jackson 164 

III. John Twiggs 172 

Chapter XIII. Siege of Savannah. 

I. D'Estaing Outwitted 173 

II. The Bombardment 176 

III. The Assault and Pulaski's Death ...... 178 

IV. Death of Sergeant Jasper 185 

Chapter XIV. — Nancy Hart 192 



Part III.— DEVELOPMENT PERIOD. 

Chapter XV. Alexander McGillivray. 

I. McGillivray's Pedigree and Early Career .... 204 

II. McGillivray in the Revolution .207 

III. The Oconee War 210 

IV. The Treaty of New York 218 

V. William Augustus Bowles 225 

VI. Passing of McGillivray 231 



contents. xi 
Chapter XVI. The Yazoo Fraud. 

Page. 

I. The Yazoo Country and the Speculators .... 235 
II. "The Yazooists" and Their Scheme 237 

III. Passage of the Yazoo Act 241 

IV. James Jackson and the Day of Wrath 244 

V. Repeal of the Yazoo Act 248 

Chapter XVII. Troup and the Treaty. 

I. Status of Indian Affairs in Georgia in 1823 . . . 251 

II. The Indian Spring Treaty 255 

III. Murder of Mcintosh 261 

IV. Troup's Altercation with Major Andrews and 

General Gaines 226 

V. Troup's Controversy with the Federal Government . 271 

VI. Declaration of War 277 

VII. "All's Well that Ends Well" 279 

VIII. Last Days of Troup 282 

Chapter XVIII. Georgia and the Cherokees. 

I. Early Relations 285 

II. Civilizing of the Cherokees 288 

III. Political Status of the Cherokees 291 

IV. Georgia and the Cherokees Lock Horns .... 294 
V. Georgia and the Gold Diggers 298 

VI. The Cherokee Nation vs. The State of Georgia . . 300 

VII. Worcester and Butler vs. The State of Georgia . . 304 

VIII. Georgia's Aggressions 308 

IX. Treaty Factions 310 

X. Expulsion of the Cherokees 314 

XI. Assassination of the Treaty Chiefs 320 

Chapter XIX. Expansion of Georgia. 

I. Georgia at the Close of the Revolution 322 

II. First Expansion: From the Ogeechee to the 

Oconee ^^6 



xii Contents. 

Page. 

III. Second Expansion: From the Oconee to the Oc- 

mulgee 333 

IV. Third Expansion: From the Ocmulgee to the FHnt . 340 
V. Fourth Expansion : South Georgia and Its Slow 

Development 344 

VI. Fifth Expansion : From the Flint to the Chatta- 
hoochee 346 

VII. Sixth Expansion: The Cherokee Country . . . 349 

Chapter XX. Georgia and Georgians of 1840. 

I. The Mountains 353 

II. The Up Country 356 

III. The Cotton Belt 357 

IV. The Sea-Coast . . , . 364 

V. South Georgia » 369 



ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS. 



Page. 

James Oglethorpe. {Portrait and Autograph) . . Frontispiece. 

The Duke of Marlborough . 3 

Prince Eugene of Savoy 4 

The Houses of Parhament 5 

A Philanthropist \^isiting the Debtors' Prison 7 

King George II 9 

The River at Savannah as It Appears To-day .... 15 

llie Colony of Georgia 25 

Tomo-chi-chi and Toonahowi 37 

John Wesley Teaching the Indians 40 

Map Showing Settlements 43 

Mouth of the St. John's River as It Appears To-day ... 45 

George Whittield Preaching 50 

Tomo-chi-chi's Grave 53 

Queen -Caroline 08 

Jerusalem Church at Ebenezer 70 

A Highland Officer 75 

Wesley Oak at Frederica , 84 

Ruins of the Old Fort at Frederica 85 

The Old Spanish Gate at St. Augustine . 94 

St. Mark's Castle, St. Augustine ......... 97 

Map of St. Simon's Island 100 



xiv Jllustratiotis and Maps. 

Page. 

Oglethorpe at the Age of Ninety-two 115 

English Stamps for America 119 

King George III 122 

Colonists Burning the Stamp Seller in Effigy 12;] 

William Pilt 129 

George Walton 133 

Button Gwinnett 134 

Lyman Hall 131 

Lachlan Mcintosh 135 

Noble Jones 136 

Joseph Habersham 130 

General Robert Howe . . 137 

Residence of George Walton at Augusta 148 

Colonel Andrew Pickens 158 

"Light Horse Harry" Lee 161 

James Jackson 165 

General Benjamin Lincoln 167 

Lee's Cavalry Skirmishing 169 

General Anthony Wayne 171 

Count d'Estaing 173 

Count Pulaski 175 

Monument to Pulaski 184 

Sergeant Jasper at Fort Moultrie 186 

Monument to Sergeant Jasper 190 

Indians Plundering Cattle on a Frontier Plantation . . . 213 

George Washington 218 

Stone or Rock Mountain 220 

William Augustus Bowles 226 

General Nathaniel Greene 238 



Illustrations and Maps. xv 

Page. 

William Mcintosh 254 

Governor George M. Troup 25o 

President Monroe „ . . 257 

Chiefs of the Creek Nation and a Georgia Squatter ... 261 

President John Quincy Adams , . . 266 

General Edmund P. Gaines 269 

State House at Milledgeville 278 

Major Ridge . 289 

John Ridge ........■>. 289 

Governor George M. Gilmer 296 

William Wirt » ^^^ 

John Marshall ^^^ 

President Jackson ... ...o ....•• 307 

Governor Wilson Lumpkin „ .... 308 

President Van Buren ^1^ 

General Winfield Scott 317 

The Walton-Hall-Gwinnett Monument at Augusta ... 323 

Map Showing Expansion of Georgia ........ 325 

A Block-House 328 

Family of a Pioneer in the Interior of Georgia .... 329 

Emigrants and Plantation Wagon . 330 

Oglethorpe University 336 

The University of Georgia 337 

Picking Cotton on a Georgia Plantation ....... 339 

Scene on a Cotton Plantation ..•...."•-• 343 

Columbus, as It Appeared When First Settled ..... 348 

Cabin of a Mountain Settler 354 

A Mountaineer ........ ^ ^ - ••• 355 

Mountaineer Mother and Daughter ......•• 355 



xvi Illiisfrations and Maps. 

Page. 

City Hall at Augusta 358 

Medical College, Augusta . . . . , 358 

A Black Mammy and Her Charge 361 

Type of Middle Georgia Slave : Family Cook 362 

Type of Middle Georgia Slave: Mulatto House-Maid . . 363 

A Mountaineer and His Wood Cart 364 

A Piny Woodsman and His Splinter Cart 364 



PART I. 

COLONIAL PERIOD 

CHAPTER L 

JAMES OGLETHORPE. 

I. Oglethorpe's early career. 

James Oglethorpe was born at Westminster, Eng- 
land, on June 1st, 1689. While he was yet a babe in 
the cradle it might have been expected that he would 
become a great man, for he came of a family of great 
people. Six hundred years before he was born, one of 
his ancestors, Sheriff Oglethorpe, was a high officer in 
the English army and was killed in the famous Battle 
of Hastings while bravely fighting for his country 
against the invader, William the Conqueror. This 
brave soldier had many distinguished descendants, the 
greatest of whom was James Oglethorpe. 

James's father. Sir Theophilus Oglethorpe, also was 
a noted officer in the English army. He fought with 
great valor in many battles and rose to the high rank 
of Major-General. When he was forty years old, he 
retired from the army and settled down in an elegant 
home in the little country town of Godalming, about 

1 



2 Georgia History Stories. 

thirty miles from London. He lived in great affluence 
with his family, and his children had the best educa- 
tional advantages that could be obtained in Europe in 
that day. James's mother was a Scotch-Irish lady of 
fine family and of good education. She was counted 
one of the cleverest and shrewdest English women 
of her day. She was one of the Ladies of the Court 
to "Good Queen Anne" and was a leader in society and 
a power in politics. She was a woman of strong will 
and no doubt had great influence in forming the char- 
acter of her distinguished son. 

James grew to be a tall, lithe, handsome youth, 
quiet mannered, good natured, and high spirited. Here 
is a story that illustrates both his good nature and his 
high spirits : When a youth of seventeen, while on a visit 
to Paris, he was invited to dine in company with a 
number of distinguished niilitary men. He sat at the 
table by the side of the Prince of Wurtemberg, an 
officer of high rank and a noted society man. The 
prince, thinking to have some fun at young Ogle- 
thorpe's expense, by a dexterous twirl of his glass flipped 
some drops of wine into his face. The prank was noticed 
by the company, and a smile went round the table. 
Young Oglethorpe did not relish being made a butt of 
ridicule, even by so great a man as the Prince of Wur- 



James Oglethorpe. 



temberg, but he kept his temper. With a smile on his 
lips he said, in polite French, "Well done, prince; but 
we do it even better than that in England," whereupon 
he dashed a whole glass of wine full into the prince's 
face. The prince flushed with rage and it looked as if 
the affair would end in a serious difficulty, but an old 
officer on the other side of the table quickly exclaimed, 
"Come now, prince, don't get angry ; it was rightly done 
by the youngster; yon started it!" Then the prince 
joined the others in a 
hearty laugh and the in- 
cident passed of¥ pleas- 
antly. 

Oglethorpe was ed- 
ucated at a military 
school, and before he 
was twenty he joined 
the English army. He 
served with the rank of 
ensign under the great 
Duke of Marlborough in The Duke of Marlborough, 

the Flanders War. After the war was over, he with- 
drew from the army and attended college for a year or 
two, but he was a born soldier and did not like the 
"weak, piping times of peace." As England had no 




Georgia History Stories. 



wars to fight at that time, he went over to the Conti- 
nent and joined the Austrian army, which was then 
engaged in a war with the Turks. The leader of the 
Austrian army was Prince Eugene of Savoy, the most 

brilhant soldier of his 
day. He was a small 
man but a great general, 
"a bright little soul with 
a flash in him as of 
heaven's own lightning," 
as Carlyle, the famous 
English writer, said of 
him. Prince Eugene took 
a very decided liking to 
}oung Oglethorpe and 
Prince Eugene of Savoy. made him his aide-de- 

camp, with the rank of Captain. By the side of this "bright 
little soul with a flash in him as of heaven's own light- 
ning," Oglethorpe thoroughly learned the soldier's trade 
and fought with dashing valor in many desperate bat- 
tles. These were his romantic days, and he always loved 
to talk about them. When he was an old, old man, 
nearly a hundred years old, he would charm brilliant 
company with his vivid descriptions of the battles in 
which he had fought by the side of Prince Eugene. 




James Oglethorpe. 5 

When the Turkish war was over, he returned to 
England and settled down to ways of peace. His 
father and elder brothers died, and he inherited the 
family estates. He was now a very rich man, but he 
lived a simple and sober life. He was elected to 
Parliament and served as a member for many years. 
While he was in Parliament, an event occurred that 




The Houses of Parliament, 
turned his attention toward America and caused him 
to become the founder of Georgia. This is how it 
happened : 

There was a cruel law in England at that time by 
which a person in debt might be thrown into prison 
by his creditors and kept there until his debts were 
somehow paid. Many poor, unfortunate people, inno- 



6 Georgia History Stories. 

cent of any crime, languished in these debtors' pris'ons. 
Oglethorpe had a dear friend, a Mr. Robert Castell, 
who was a scholar and an artist. He wrote a fine 
book on architecture, which he illustrated with splen- 
did pictures drawn by. his own hand. He was so much 
taken up with writing the book that he neglected his 
business affairs, and when the book was published 
instead of making money for him it brought him 
heavily in debt, and he was condemned to be cast into 
the debtors' prison. In the prison to which he was 
assigned, smallpox was at that time raging, and he had 
never had the disease. He begged the prison keeper, 
a heartless wretch by the name of Bambridge, to let 
him lie in the common jail until the prison should be 
freed of the smallpox or until his friends could arrange 
to pay his debts for him, which he was sure would 
be done in the course of a few months. Bambridge 
agreed to do so if Castell would pay him down in cash 
a certain sum of money as a bribe, but poor Castell 
bad not the money, so he was thrown into the small- 
pox-infested prison, where he soon contracted the 
disease ; and after a few days' suffering he died an 
awful death, leaving his wife and little children 
poverty stricken and helpless. 

When Oglethorpe heard of this outrage his blood 



James Oglethorpe. 7 

boiled with indignation. He at once introduced a bill 
in Parliament to have a committee appointed to ex- 
amine the prisons of England and bring about a re- 
form in their management. The bill was passed, Ogle- 
thorpe was made Chairman of the Committee, and, 
with the other members, he spent several months visit- 




A Philanthropist Visiting the Debtors' Prison. 

ing the prisons. He found in them many practices 
of shocking cruelty, all of which were immediately 
abolished. 

II. Oglethorpe's Georgia colony enterprise. 
If Oglethorpe had done nothing more than bring 
about this reform, he would deserve the lasting grati- 



8 Georgia History Stories. 

tilde of humanity, but he did not stop at this. While 
visiting the prisons his sympathies were deeply aroused 
for the poor debtors whom he found languishing be- 
hind iron bars, though innocent of any crime. He 
determined to try to do something to help them out of 
their sad condition. By his earnest appeals he got 
Parliament to pass a law by which they might be set 
free, provided they would agree to go to America and 
establish there for England a new colony on a broad 
strip of unsettled country already claimed by her, south 
of the Savannah River. It lay next to Florida, which 
then belonged to Spain and had been colonized by her. 
The Spaniards were at that time one of the most pow^erful 
and warlike nations in the world, and in their hearts 
they were very hostile to the English, although not 
openly at war with them. The Spanish soldiers were 
bold, skillful, and heartless ; so much so that some one 
said of them, *'A Spanish soldier is a machine of steel 
with the devil inside of it!" 

Fortunately for Oglethorpe's enterprise, King George 
II of England was anxious to plant colonies in his unoc- 
cupied possessions south of the Savannah River as a pro- 
tection for South Carolina against the bold and unscrupu- 
lous Spaniards of Florida. So he gladly granted to Ogle- 
thorpe "for the use of debtors and other poor persons" 



James Oglethorpe. 9 

all the country between the Savannah and the Altamaha 
Rivers, and as far westward as they might choose to go. 
This strip of country was named Georgia in honor 
of King George. A Board of Trustees, consisting of 
thirty-six members, among whom were some of the 




King George II. 
most distinguished men in England, was appointed by 
the King to have entire charge of planting, establishing, 
and governing the new colony. They were to serve 
without pay or compensation of any sort. It must be 
purely a labor of love with them. The good and great 



10 Georgia History Stories. 

Lord Perceval was president of the Board, and Ogle- 
thorpe was one of the members. The Trustees set about 
raising money to pay the cost of establishing the colony, 
for the poor people who were to go were not able to 
pay any part of their own expenses. Parliament made 
quite a liberal appropriation for the purpose, and a 
larger amount still was raised by public subscription 
from benevolent people in all parts of England. Al- 
together, the Trustees soon had in hand $150,000, which 
was sufficient to establish a small colony. 

At one of the meetings of the Trustees it was sug- 
gested that some member of the Board, a man of edu- 
cation and ability, should go over to America with the 
first colonists as their Governor and live in Georgia 
with them until they were well and thoroughly estab- 
lished. Oglethorpe nobly volunteered to go, and the 
Trustees were delighted. In undertaking this trying 
service, Oglethorpe would have to give up his luxurious 
home, the pleasures of refined society, and the splendid 
public career that was fast opening to him in England 
and would have to endure untold hardships, privations, 
and dangers ; and from it all he had nothing, in a 
worldly sense, to gain for himself. The Trustees had 
chosen as the official seal of the Board a group of silk 
worms spinning their cocoons and, written underneath, 



James Oglethorpe. 11 

the noble motto, "Non sibi sed aliis!"* ''Not for them- 
selves but for others !" As those of you who have 
studied Latin know, the word sibi may also be correctly 
translated himself. The motto truly expressed the spirit 
of Oglethorpe in volunteering to go on this trying ex- 
pedition, "Noji sibi sed aliis!" "Not for himself but 
for others !" He was at this time forty-three years old 
and was yet unmarried. So far as we know, he had 
never had a sweetheart. Perhaps he was so busy that 
he had never had time to fall in love ! 

When it was known that the great and good Ogle- 
thorpe himself would accompany the expedition, hun- 
dreds and hundreds of poor people, debtors and others, 
were anxious to go, but only a few could be taken. Out 
of the hundreds of applicants, the Trustees carefully 
selected forty strong, healthy men of good morals and 
with small families. All together, men, women, and 
children, the party consisted of one hundred and twenty 
souls. Many poor wretches who begged to go had to 
be turned away with tears in their eyes and bitter dis- 
appointment in their hearts. 

The good ship Anne, a sailing vessel of two hundred 



* The original of this famous seal is in the British Museum, London. 
A few years ago a wax impression of it was obtained from the curator of the 
Museum by the Oglethorpe Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, 
at Columbus. It is the only copy extant in America. 



12 Georgia History Stories. 

tons burden, was chartered to take the emigrants across 
the ocean to America. In her hold, as she lay moored 
to the wharf at Gravesend, were stored provisions 
and all kinds of tools and implements for the journey 
and for getting the colony well established in Georgia. 
Everything was then ready for the voyage. 



CHAPTER II. 
FOUNDING OF SAVANNAH. 

I. SEEKING A LOCATION. 

At high noon on the 16th of November, in the year 
1732, the good ship Anne spread her white sails and, 
Hke some great canvas-winged bird of the sea, flew 
from the shores of England westward over the Atlantic, 
bearing in her kindly bosom James Oglethorpe and his 
one hundred and twenty emigrants. She did not sail 
straight for Georgia, but for Charleston, South Caro- 
lina, where Oglethorpe wished to get the advice and 
help of the Governor of that province in settling his 
colony. She reached Charleston on the 13th of Janu 
ary, 1733, and cast anchor just outside the harbor bar. 
Oglethorpe, leaving his people on board, was rowed to 
shore in an open boat, and was received with great 
honor by Governor Johnson and the Legislature of 
South Carolina, which was then in session. 

The Governor had been notified several weeks be- 
fore that Oglethorpe was coming and he was prepared 
to extend to him a hearty welcome. The people of 
South Carolina were very glad that an English colony 
was to be planted in Georgia, for well they knew that 

13 



14 Georgia History Stories. 

it would be a protection for them against the fierce 
Spaniards of Florida. Governor Johnson offered to do 
anything in his power to help Oglethorpe. He ap- 
pointed Colonel Bull, one of the most prominent men 
in South Carolina, to act as Oglethorpe's guid-e and 
assistant in settling his colony in Georgia and offered 
to take care of the emigrants until a suitable location 
could be found for them. 

The good ship Anne was taken down to Port Royal 
Bay where it was safely moored in the harbor. At the 
head of the bay was the little town of Beaufort, where 
there was a fort garrisoned by a hundred South Caro- 
lina soldiers. A new barracks building had just been 
erected for the soldiers, but they had not yet moved into 
it. Governor Johnson turned this building over to the 
use of the emigrants, and here they were comfortably 
housed until Oglethorpe could locate a permanent home 
for them. 

Having seen his people thus comfortably provided 
for, Oglethorpe started out in search of some favor- 
able spot on Georgia soil on which to plant his little 
colony. From study of the maps, he had already de- 
cided to locate the settlement somewhere on the banks 
of the Savannah River, that broad and beautiful stream 
which, coming down from the northwest, flows for one 



Founding of Savannah. 



15 



hundred and fifty miles as a boundary line between South 
Carolina and Georgia, and then, as it nears the sea, 
turns to the left in a graceful scythe-like curve and 
pours its wealth of waters into the great Atlantic Ocean. 
On the 16th of January, Oglethorpe, accompanied 




Copyright, 1901, by the Detroit Photographic Cumpaity. 

The River at Savannah, as It Appears To-day. 

by Colonel Bull, left Port Royal in a little vessel lent 
to him by Governor Johnson and manned by four 
sailors. He sailed down the South Carolina coast and 
entered the Savannah River where Tybee Island juts 
out as a headland into the ocean. As he ascended the 
river, he passed many low-lying barren islands and flat 



16 Georgia History Stories. 

salt marshes covered with rank sea-grass. It was an 
ugly country, and perhaps Oglethorpe's brave heart sank 
within him as he surveyed the dreary prospect. But, 
about eighteen miles up the river, the lowlands on the 
south bank suddenly rose into a bold, forest-covered 
blufif forty-five feet high. Here the little vessel was 
stopped, and Oglethorpe and Colonel Bull climbed up 
the blufif. On top they beheld an extensive level plain 
covered, as far as the eye could see, with a great woods 
of majestic pines interspersed with broad,- spreading 
live-oaks. For several moments Oglethorpe stood en- 
raptured and then exclaimed, "Surely a merciful God 
has designed this glorious spot as a restful home for 
my poor, persecuted people !" 

Colonel Bull, who had visited this region before, 
told Oglethorpe that at the other end of the bluf¥, about 
three miles from where they stood, there was a small, 
isolated Indian tribe called the Yainacraivs, and that 
they were the only Indians within forty miles. Ogle- 
thorpe knew that it was important that he should gain 
the good-will of these savages before making his settle- 
ment ; so, accompanied by Colonel Bull, he went in 
search of the Indians. He found their little town of 
thirty wigwams scattered about under the trees, in a 
beautiful spot on the edge of the blufif, in full view of 



Founding of Savannah. 17 

the river. The chief, or mico, of the tribe was a 
wonderful old savage named Tomo-chi-chi.'^ He was 
ninety years old, but was still strong and robust in 
body and mind. He was over six feet tall and stood 
straight as the great pine tree under which his wigwam 
was pitched. His immediate family consisted of his 
wife Seenawki and his nephew Toonahowi, a boy thir- 
teen years old whom he had adopted as his son. He 
had no living children of his own. 

On reaching the village Oglethorpe called for 
Tomo-chi-chi, and the old savage stepped forth like a 
king. He was not surprised to see the white men. He 
had often seen white people before, for he had once 
gone to Charleston, where he spent several days while 
making a treaty with the Governor and the Legislature ; 
moreover, English and Spanish traders had frequently 
visited his village. Indeed, at this very time there stood 
out in the woods, a few hundred yards from his wigwam, 
a log hut occupied as an English "trading post" by a 
white man, named John Musgrove. Musgrove's wife, 
Mary Musgrove, was a half-breed Indian woman who 
had been reared and educated among the whites in 
South Carolina and could speak both the Indian and 
the English language fluently. On the occasion of 

* Pronounced Tomo-chi-chi. 



18 Georgia History Stories. 

Tomo-chi-chi's visit to Charleston, she had acted as his 
interpreter ; and he sent for her now. In a httle while 
she came, and the interview began. 

Oglethorpe told Tomo-chi-chi that he wished to 
settle with his colony in the woods near by, but that 
they would not interfere in any way with the Yama- 
craws ; that they would do no harm but only good to 
the Indians, would give them blankets, hatchets, guns, 
and other things, and would help them in many ways. 
He hoped they might always be good friends and live 
as peaceful neighbors. Oglethorpe's noble countenance, 
kind manner, and fine promises completely won old 
Tomo-chi-chi's heart, and he said : ''There is plenty of 
room here for both red men and white men. Bring 
your people on to our woods. As soon as they get 
settled, we will call to welcome them." Tomo-chi-chi 
was a wise statesman. He knew that the whites might 
be of great benefit to the Indians, and that to make 
enemies of them would bring certain ruin to the Indians. 
Such was the first meeting between these two remark- 
able men who afterwards became such fast friends, and 
who worked together so harmoniously for the founding 
of Georgia. Though one was a cultured gentleman and 
the other a benighted savage, in character they were 
strikingly alike. 



Founding of Savannah. 19 

Oglethorpe and Colonel Bnll spent several days in 
surveying the surrounding country. Accompanied by 
two or three Yamacraw Indian guides, they would 
tramp all day long through the deep, dark, beautiful 
woods, returning at night to sleep in their little boat at 
the foot of the bluff. The more Oglethorpe saw of the 
country, the better he liked it. The high bluff ex- 
tended more than a mile along the river bank and 
stretched back from the stream five miles in a level 
plain. Standing on the edge of the bluff, he could see 
the broad sweep of the Savannah River for miles above 
and below, as it flowed onward toward the sea. The 
water under the bluff was so deep that big ships could 
come right up to the bank. 

II. PLANTING THE COLONY. 

On the 5th of February, Oglethorpe, having finished 
his survey, got aboard his little vessel and sailed back 
to Port Royal. He found that during his ten days' 
absence his colonists had been most kindly treated by 
the soldiers and the people of Beaufort. Many of the 
folk from the surrounding country, too, had called to 
see them and had brought them presents of fat pigs, 
fowls, eggs, butter, and home-made bread. They were 
in good health and fine spirits; and no wonder, for they 
had been treated like heroes and had lived on the ''fat 



20 Georgia Hist07'y Stories. 

of the land." On the night after his return, Oglethorpe 
got them together and described to them the beautiful 
spot in Georgia that he had selected for their home and 
told them about the Yamacraw Indians. He instructed 
them to be ready, bag and baggage, to start for So- 
vannah (as he had already named the place) early on 
the next Monday morning. 

On the Sunday morning before leaving South Caro- 
lina, the colonists held a special thanksgiving service. 
After the service, Oglethorpe gave, at his own ex- 
pense, a grand dining, to which, in the name of the 
colonists, he invited the soldiers and all the good South 
Carolina people that had been so kind to them. More 
than three hundred people partook of the feast, at 
which was served, as we are told by one who was 
present, four fat hogs, two fine English beeves, eight 
turkeys, one hundred chickens and ducks, a hogshead 
of rum punch, a hogshead of beer, and a barrel of wine. 
Notwithstanding the large quantity of liquor consumed, 
not a man got drunk and perfect order was preserved. 
This was the first Georgia barbecue ; for, though spread 
in South Carolina, it was given by the first Georgian 
and was served in that abundant and generous way 
that has since made Georgia barbecues the most famous 
of feasts. 



Founding of Savannah. 21 

The morning following, the colonists boarded four 
little vessels and sailed away for Georgia. On the 
afternoon of February 12th, 1733, they landed at the 
high bluff on the Savannah River. By sunset, they had 
spread under the tall pine trees four big, white tents ; 
and in these the whole colony, one hundred and twenty 
souls — men, women, and children — were stored away 
"as snug as a bug in a rug." Thus they spent their first 
night on Georgia soil. Oglethorpe occupied by himself 
a little tent pitched under a group of three tall pine trees. 

Early the next morning, the colonists were assembled 
in front of Oglethorpe's tent for prayers, which were 
conducted by the Chaplain, Rev. Henry Herbert. After 
prayers Oglethorpe gave them a kind, fatherly talk and 
some good advice ; and then they went about their work, 
the men unloading the boats and the women putting 
their household goods in order. 

About eleven o'clock, while they were busy about 
their tasks, they were startled by hearing in the distance 
strange shouting of voices and the beating of some in- 
strument like a drum. Looking in the direction of the 
sound, they saw far away through the level pine forest 
a band of Indians approaching them. The people were 
much frightened and began gathering around Ogle- 
thorpe's tent, the men with guns in their hands; but he 



22 Georgia History Stories. 

soon calmed their fears, for he knew that it was only 
old Tomo-chi-chi and his followers coming to fulfill 
his promise, ''As soon as your people get settled, we 
will come to welcome them." 

In front of the band of visitors marched the Yama- 
craw priest, or "medicine man" as the Indians call him. 
He was dressed in gaudy and grotesque style ; his 
face and the upper part of his -body were painted 
red, blue, yellow, and black; on the top of his 
head were the antlers of a young stag, and 
over his shoulders was thrown the skin of a fawn. 
In each hand h« carried an outspread fan of eagle's 
feathers attached to a long handle which was strung 
from top to bottom with little jingling bells. As he 
approached, he cut all sorts of queer but graceful 
antics, now crouching low down to the ground, then 
straightening up to his full height, and every now and 
then leaping high into the air, all the time jingling his 
bells and keeping up a mighty jabber in" the Indian 
language, while those marching behind him uttered a 
strange grunting sound, "Ugh, ugh !" 

As the procession drew near, Oglethorpe stepped a 
few paces in front of his tent to meet them. Suddenly 
they all stopped still except the ''medicine man," who 
advanced, walked slowly, with a stately stride, around 



Found ing of Savannah. 23 

Oglethorpe, and, stroking him from head to foot with 
the outspread fans, said, or rather chanted, over and 
over again in the Indian language, "j\Iay there be 
eternal peace between your people and our people!" 
After this ceremony was over, old Tomo-chi-chi, taking 
a buffalo robe from one of his attendants, stepped for- 
ward and Said to Oglethorpe : 

''We have come to welcome you as I promised. I 
have brought you a present. This is the skin of a 
buffalo, which is the strongest of all beasts ; in the in- 
side you see painted the head and feathers of an eagle, 
which is the swiftest and farthest flying of all birds. 
So the English are the strongest of all people, and 
nothing can withstand them ; and they have a swift and 
far flight like the eagle, seeing that they have flown 
hither from the uttermost parts of the earth, over the 
vast seas. The eagle's feathers are soft and signify 
love; the buffalo's robe is warm and signifies protec- 
tion ; therefore love and protect our little families." 

As he made the speech, ?^Iary Musgrove stood by 
his side and interpreted what he said, sentence by 
sentence. Oglethorpe was deq^ly touched. He made a 
kind, noble speech in reply, while the colonists — men, 
women, and children — stood behind him looking on in 
wonder at this strange, impressive scene. 



24 Georgia History Stories. 

Oglethorpe invited his visitors to stay to dinner, and 
they readily accepted. The women of the colony be- 
stirred themselves mightily to get up a ''company din- 
ner" for their distinguished and unexpected guests, and 
they managed to prepare a fine repast. By two o'clock 
it was ready. In the meantime, the men had no diffi- 
culty in entertaining the Indians by showing them the 
many wonderful things they had brought from Eng- 
land. After dinner, as the guests were leaving, Ogle- 
thorpe made each of them a present : a scarlet shawl 
with a heavy fringe to Tomo-chi-chi ; a blanket and a 
hatchet to each of the other men ; and to each of the three 
women of the party, a string of beads and a looking- 
glass. Then he bade them good-by and asked them to 
call again. Such was the first "state dining" ever given 
in Georgia. 

For more than a year Oglethorpe continued to live 
in his little tent under the three great pine trees over- 
looking the river, while he directed the work of the 
colonists, all of whose hardships and privations he 
shared. He laid off in the great forest the plan of the 
town that was to be builded there. That plan is per- 
fectly preserved in the city of Savannah of to-day, 
though, of course, the original streets have been 
lengthened, and many new streets and squares have 



Founding of Savannah. 



25 



been added. Oglethorpe's six streets — Bull, Bryan, 
Drayton, Abercorn, St. Julian, and Whitaker — are still 
the principal thoroughfares of the city. Bull street, he 
named for that Colonel Bull who so greatly helped him 
in planting his colony; and the others he named for 
benevolent persons in England and South Carolina who 




From an old print. 



The Colony of Georgia. 



had helped the colony by contributions in money and 
in other ways. 

In the mighty work of clearing the forests, build- 
ing homes, erecting forts, and cultivating gardens, the 
colonists were greatly aided during the first year by 
the generous South Carolinians, who furnished many 
laborers and 'mechanics free of charge. The Legisla- 
ture of South Carolina also gave to them a herd of one 



26 Georgia History Stories, 

hundred and five cows and a drove of eighty hogs, and 
private citizens of the same colony presented them with 
flocks of sheep and a number of horses. 

From time to time new emigrants, sent over by the 
Trustees, arrived ; so that by the end of the first year 
the colony numbered about six hundred people, all 
under the fatherly care of James Oglethorpe. 

Such is the story of the founding of the beautiful 
city of Savannah and the beginning of the great State 
of Georgia. 



CHAPTER III. 
TOMO-CHI-CHI. 

I. TOMO-CHI-CHI'S TREATY WITH OGLETHORPE. 

Tomo-chi-chi, mice, or chief, of the Yamacraws, al- 
though a savage, was a truly great man. When Ogle- 
thorpe first met him he was ninety years old.* For one 
so aged, he was wonderfully vigorous in body and 
mind. His figure was still erect, his step light and 
spry, his faculties bright, and his eye undimmed. He 
was over six feet tall and had a noble and command- 
ing countenance. Anywhere in the world people look- 
ing on him would have felt, "He is a great man!" 

Georgia at this time was inhabited mainly by a na- 
tion of Indians known as the Creeks. They were 
divided into the Upper Creeks and the Lower Creeks. 
The Upper Creeks lived chiefly in what is now Ala- 
bama, and the Lower Creeks in what is now middle 
and lower Georgia. The Lower Creeks were divided 
into nine different tribes, and the smallest and weakest 
of these tribes were the Yamacraws of which old 
Tomo-chi-chi was chief or mico. 

*This was Tomo-chi-chi's reputed age, but it is not entirely authentic. It 
seems hardly credible that one so aged could have possessed such wondertul 
physical and mental vigor. At any rate he was a very old man. 

27 



28 Georgia History Stories. 

Tomo-chi-chi had spent most of his Hfe in middle 
Georgia, where he was a member of one of the most 
powerful tribes of the Creek Nation, and he was re- 
garded as one of their greatest men and most valiant 
warriors ; but in his old age, for some reason that we 
do not know, he withdrew from his people and 
wandered through the wilderness far to the east, where 
at length he settled on a high bluff on the banks of the 
Savannah River. Here he was joined by a number of 
devoted followers whom he organized into a tribe 
called the Yamacraws, and here Oglethorpe found them 
when he came to Georgia in 1733. 

You have learned how Tomo-chi-chi and the Yama- 
craws allowed Oglethorpe and his colony to settle peace- 
fully in the woods near them and how they became their 
strong friends. But Tomo-chi-chi had no right to give 
this land to Oglethorpe, for it belonged not only to the 
Yamacraws but to the whole Lower Creek Nation. 
Oglethorpe suspected this, and Tomo-chi-chi knew it 
well. He was an honest and frank man, so one day 
he went to Oglethorpe and said : 'The Yamacraws will 
never molest you, but other tribes of the Creeks may do 
so. They may come at any time and kill you all or 
drive you away. They are stronger than we are, and we 
cannot defend you from them. You had better make 



Tomo-chi-chi. 29 

friends with them. I will send messengers to all of the 
tribes to tell their chiefs and big warriors to meet here 
on a certain day to hold a great council. You can have 
a big talk with them and make a treaty with them. I 
will do my best to make them your friends just as I am 
your friend." Oglethorpe was glad to do this, for he 
knew that his little colony was in constant danger of 
attack from hostile tribes of the Lower Creeks, and he 
had felt very uneasy about it. 

So Tomo-chi-chi sent messengers, or "runners" as 
he called them, to all of the tribes of the Lower Creeks 
to ask their chiefs to meet at Savannah on a certain 
day to have a "big talk" with the English, and he was 
careful at the same time to send them word that the 
English were good people and would be a great help 
to the Indians. The Lower Creeks consisted of nine 
tribes, which were widely scattered over middle and 
southern Georgia at great distances apart. They were 
the Cowetas, Cussetas, Osweechees, Chehaws, Echetas, 
Pallachucolas, Oconas, Eufaulas, and Yamacraws. The 
chiefs of all these tribes, attended by a number of war- 
riors, responded to the call of Tomo-chi-chi and came to 
the "big talk" at Savannah. A few of them came down 
the rivers and up the rivers in their canoes; but most 
of them came on foot, for the Indians of that time had 



30 Georgia History Stories. 

no other means of traveling through the country. Many 
of them walked hundreds of miles and none of them 
less than fifty miles to attend the meeting. 

The council was held on the 21st of May, 1733. In 
all, chiefs and warriors, there were fifty-six Indians 
present. Not one of them, we are told, was under six 
feet tall, and they stood as straight and stately as the 
great pine trees under which they had been born and 
bred. They were dressed in full Indian costume. Their 
long, jet-black hair was adorned with eagle's feathers 
standing high over their foreheads and falling in a fes- 
toon down their backs. Their faces and the naked 
upper part of their "bodies were painted red, blue, and 
yellow. They had rings in their ears and, around their 
necks, beads made of shells or of the teeth of wild 
animals. From the waist down, they wore a skirt of 
buckskin ornamented with paintings and falling just 
below the knees with a heavy fringe ; their legs were 
encased in buckskin stockings, and they were shod in 
buckskin sandals called "moccasins." Savages though 
they were, these "lords of the forest" made a splendid 
looking assembly. 

The meeting was held in the largest house then in 
Savannah. The Indians, according to their custom, sat 
flat on the floor, arranged in semi-circles. In the front 



Tomo-chi-chi. 31 

row sat the nine chiefs, and back of them the warriors. 
Oglethorpe, clad in the full dress of an English gentle- 
man, stood facing them; and with him were the prin- 
cipal men of the colony and two white interpreters, 
John Musgrove and Mr. Wiggan. Oglethorpe was 
glad to see that the Indians had a pleasant expression 
on their faces, or at least as pleasant as Indians can 
have. Tomo-chi-chi had given them a good talk and 
had done his best to gain their favor for the English. 
He had a powerful influence over them, for they es- 
teemed him as one of the best and wisest men of the 
Creek Nation. 

Oglethorpe rapped on the table in front of him and 
declared the council to be opened. He asked to hear 
from the Indians. The first speaker was Weekachumpa, 
chief of the Oconas. He was a very tall old man with 
white hair and a wrinkled face, but he stood straight 
as an arrow while in a pleasant voice and with graceful 
gestures he made his speech. It was a long speech but 
honest and straightforward. The substance of it all 
was this : 

''We are glad you have come to our country. The 
Great Spirit who dwells in heaven and all around, and 
who has given breath to all men, has sent you here to 
help us; for we need help. The Lower Creeks own all 



32 Georgia History Stories. 

the country from the Savannah River down to the line 
of Florida where the Spaniards live. You may settle 
in our country anywhere you please, for here we have 
many times more land than we can use. But you must 
not disturb us in our homes and our hunting grounds. 
You must protect us from our powerful enemies and 
from your own bad men, if you have any such. You 
must not trade with any red men but us. You must 
not let your traders cheat us. You must teach us wise 
things and instruct our children. You must do all you 
can to help us in every way. You must let us keep 
St. Catharine's, Ossabaw, and Sapelo islands forever 
as our own for hunting grounds and bathing places." 

All the other chiefs, one after another, made short 
speeches in which they agreed to what Weekachumpa 
had said. Tomo-chi-chi was the last speaker ; and no 
doubt he made the best speech of all, for he was a born 
orator. Oglethorpe replied to them in a talk full of 
kindness, wisdom, and good promises that he meant to 
keep and that he always did keep. He won their hearts 
completely. They trusted him perfectly, as well they 
might. The treaty was drawn up in writing and 
properly signed, and for many years it was faithfully 
kept by both sides. In no other part of America, in 
those early days, did the white man and the red man 



Tomo-chi-chi. 33 

live together so peacefully and pleasantly as in the colony 
of Georgia. The credit and the thanks for this happy 
state of affairs were due mainly to Tomo-chi-chi, for it 
was his powerful influence that brought the two races 
so happily together. A word from him might have 
turned the Creek Nation against the whites and caused 
the destruction of Oglethorpe's little colony with much 
bloodshed and suffering afterward. But Tomo-chi-chi 
was a wise and good old man ; he raised his voice for 
peace and not for war. This was much the better, not 
only for the whites but for the Indians, too. 

II. TOMO-CHI-CHl's VISIT TO ENGLAND. 

About a year after the treaty, Oglethorpe decided 
to go to England on a visit; and he was anxious to 
take Tomo-chi-chi and a number of other Indians with 
him. Tomo-chi-chi gladly accepted the invitation for 
himself, his wife, Seenawki, and his nephew, Toona- 
liowi. Every Indian in the tribe was eager to go, but 
Oglethorpe could take only a few ; so he carefully 
selected six big warriors and several attendants. These 
with two white interpreters made up the party. 

On the 7th of April, 1734, they set sail for Eng- 
land. Never before had these "lords of the woods" 
been out on the vast ocean. How wonderful it must 
have seemed to them ! The weather was delightful, and 



34 Georgia History Stories. 

they had a smooth and prosperous voyage. We can 
fancy that old Neptune, the god of the sea, pleased at 
the sight of these strange, new visitors to his watery 
realm, greeted them with smiles that beamed over the 
ocean and made it calm and serene. They reached 
England early in June. Oglethorpe took them first to 
his own beautiful country home where he entertained 
them as his guests for several days. Then they were 
conveyed to London where comfortable quarters had 
been provided for them in the Georgia Building. The 
news of their arrival soon spread throughout the great 
city, and hundreds of people flocked to see them, treat- 
ing them with the utmost respect and bringing them 
many presents. 

The king, George II, sent them an invitation to 
visit him on a certain day at Kensington Palace, and 
they accepted with great delight. They knew that this 
visit would be an important event in their lives, and 
they were greatly excited over it. When the appointed 
day arrived, they spent several hours dressing for the 
occasion. They wished to go, as they always did on 
state occasions at home, with the upper part of their 
bodies naked, but Oglethorpe would not permit this. 
He induced them to wear shawls over their shoulders, 
pinned at the throat ; and as the shawls were dyed 



Tomo-chi-chi. 35 

a brilliant blue, they were quite reconciled. In other 
respects they were clad in full Indian costume; paint, 
beads, feathers, and all. Old Tomo-chi-chi wore a scar- 
let mantle of rich velvet trimmed with gold lace; and 
his wife, Seenawki, wore a crimson dress of the finest 
silk, made as nearly in the Indian style as was ad- 
missible in polite English society. 

The king sent three magnificent royal coaches, each 
drawn by six horses, to convey them to the palace. 
People by thousands thronged the streets and windows 
to see them pass. At the palace gates, they were wel- 
comed by the king's bodyguard standing at "present 
arms." At the palace door, they were received by the 
Lord High Chamberlain and ushered into the presence 
of the king, who was seated on his throne with the 
queen— good Queen Caroline — seated by his side. 
Tomo-chi-chi had prepared a set speech for the oc- 
casion and had practiced it over and over again to his 
interpreter, so he made it to the king smoothly and 
without a blunder. He held in his hand a bunch of 
eagle's feathers as a present to the king, and at the close 
of his speech he said: "These are the feathers of the 
eagle, which is the swiftest of birds, and which flieth 
all around our nation. These feathers signify peace 
in our land and have been carried from town to town 



36 Georgia History Stories. 

there, and we have brought them over to leave them 
with you, O great king, as a sign of everlasting peace 
between your people and our people!" He made also 
this pretty little speech to the queen : **I am glad to 
see this day, and I am glad to see you who are the 
good mother of this great people. As our people are 
now joined to your people, we hope you will also be 
the mother of us and of our children." Eoth king and 
queen made gracious replies and gave a rich present to 
each of the visitors. 

Tomo-chi-chi and his party spent four months in 
England. During the whole time everything possible 
was done for their comfort and enjoyment. They were 
shown the great sights of London and of other parts 
of the kingdom. Wherever they went, crowds of people 
flocked to see them and to shake hands with them. Even 
the nobility gave them elegant entertainments, which 
were attended by the finest ladies and gentlemen in the 
land. Tomo-chi-chi met nearly all of the leading men 
of the country and conversed with them through his 
interpreter. His dignified manner, good sense, shrewd 
observations, and high-toned character filled them with 
surprise and admiration. They had no idea that an 
American savage could be so noble a man. He had 
several long talks with the Trustees of the Georgia 



Tomo-chi-chi. 



37 




From the original London portrait. 

Tomo-chi-chi and Toonahowi. 



38 Georgia History Stories. 

Colony, in which he showed his good business sense by 
getting them to pass a number of important measures 
for the benefit of the Creek Indians in Georgia. While 
he was in London, the Trustees had a fine portrait made 
of him with Toonahowi standing by his side holding an 
American eagle in his arms. It was done by a famous 
portrait painter and was considered a splendid likeness. 
It hung for many years in the Georgia Building, and a 
great many copies have been made of it. It shows a 
stately figure and a noble countenance, worthy of a king. 

At times Tomo-chi-chi seemed very sad when he saw 
the contrast between the power, intelligence, and 
wealth of the English and the weakness, ignorance, and 
poverty of his own race. He was wise enough to know 
that the red men would be perfectly helpless against 
the whites and that it would never do to arouse their 
enmity. He once said : "The Great Spirit has given to 
the English mighty wisdom and power and great wealth, 
and they want nothing but more land ; to the Indians 
He has given vast quantities of land, more than they 
can use, but they want everything else ; so Indians must 
give lands to the English, and the English will give 
Indians things that they want." 

In October, Tomo-chi-chi and his party left England 
to return to Georgia. Thev carried back four thousand 



Tonio-chi-chi. 39 

dollars' worth of useful and beautiful presents that their 
English friends had given them. Among these presents 
was a fine gold watch that the king's young son, 
Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, had given to 
Toonahowi, saying to him : "Whenever you look at this 
watch to see the time of day, remember me and call on 
the name of Jesus, the blessed Saviour of us all !" On 
reaching Georgia, Tomo-chi-chi gave his people a full 
account of what he had seen and experienced on his 
wonderful journey, and he distributed among them 
nearly all of the rich gifts he had received in England, 
for he was a generous hearted, unselfish man. 

Oglethorpe did not return to Georgia with the In- 
dians, but remained in England nearly two years longer, 
all the time busy getting money, supplies, and new emi- 
grants to go over to the colony in Georgia. 

III. TOMO-CHI-CHl's RELIGIOUS VIEWS. 

When Oglethorpe returned to Georgia in February, 
1736, he brought over on the ship with him, as a mis- 
sionary to the Indians, a young English clergyman 
named John Wesley, who afterward became a very 
famous man. Tomo-chi-chi met the party at the ship 
and was overjoyed to welcome his good friend Ogle- 
thorpe back to Georgia again. ''While you were gone, 
I did moult like the eagle," he said. When Oglethorpe 



40 



Georgia History Stories. 



introduced John Wesley to him and explained the pur- 
pose of his coming' to America, the old savage welcomed 
the young preacher in these remarkable words : "I am 
glad you have come to speak the great word to us. I 
will do my best to get our people to listen to you well. 
But we don't want to be made Christians as the 




John Wesley Teaching the Indians. 

Spaniards make them. They put water on Indian's 
head and say, 'You are Christian,' but we want you 
first to explain the great word to us so that we can 
understand it ; then we will be baptized and be real 
Christians." As soon as Wesley was settled in his 
quarters, kind-hearted Seenawki brought him as a pres- 



Tomo-chi-chi. 41 

ent a jar of honey and a jar of milk, saying: *'The 
honey signifies our feehngs and disposition toward 
you; the milk signifies the needs of our children; so 
please come and teach them." But John Wesley, 
though a great and good man, was an utter failure as 
a missionary to the savages. He lacked the power of 
winning their hearts and of teaching the "great word" 
in the simple way they needed. He didn't even try to 
learn the Indian language, but preached to them en- 
tirely throuo^h an interpreter and explained the Chris- 
tian religion to them in such a learned way that the 
poor savages could not understand him. Tomo-chi-chi 
seemed to take a dislike to him from the first and 
would have little to do with him. 

Tomo-chi-chi had deep religious instincts. He used 
to go himself every Sunday to Oglethorpe's church in 
Savannah, and, as we have just seen, he was anxious 
to have the "great word" preached to his people. But 
after a while he lost all interest in the Christian 
religion. The reason of this came out one day 
when some one asked him : "Tomo-chi-chi, why 
don't you become a Christian?" With flashing eye 
and scorn in his voice the old man replied : "The 
people at Savannah are Christians, the people at Fred- 
erica are Christians, but they are no good ; they get 



42 Geor^^ia History Stories. 

drunk, they tell lies, they fight, they beat weak people, 
they cheat poor Indians. Devil Christian, me no 
Christian !" He had made the mistake that many 
people make, of judging religion by the lives of the 
worst and most hypocritical of its professed followers. 

IV. TOMO-CHI-CHI'S FLORIDA EXPEDITION. 

Not long after Oglethorpe's return from England, 
Tomo-chi-chi said to him : "Before I die I want you to go 
down the coast with me and let me show you the divid- 
ing line between the Creek country and Florida. While 
I was in England, some Spaniards and Florida Indians 
crossed over into our hunting grounds and killed some 
of our warriors. You must build forts down there to 
protect our country and your country." Oglethorpe 
was glad to go on such an expedition, for he had long 
wished to settle the boundary line between Georgia and 
Florida. Two months before, he had sent Major 
Richards with an escort of six men down to St. 
Augustine with a message to the Spanish governor of 
Florida asking for a conference on this subject; but the 
party had never returned, and Oglethorpe was uneasy 
about them and wished to go down and see what had 
become of them. 

So on April IGth, 1736, Oglethorpe started from St. 
Simon's Island down the coast on this important ex- 



Tomo-chi-chi. 



43 




Map Showing Settlements. 



pedition. He was accom- 
panied by Tomo-chi-chi and 
several gentlemen from Sa- 
vannah. They had, as an 
escort, forty Indian war- 
riors and thirty Highland 
soldiers from the little town 
of Darien, which had just 
been settled on the Alta- 
maha River by a party of 
Scotch emigrants. They 
were all fully armed and 
furnished with implements 
for building forts. They 
embarked in four large 
boats propelled partly by 
oars and partly by sails, and 
in each boat there were two 
or three small canoes. A 
few miles south of St. 
Simon's, they came to a 
beautiful island where they 
camped that night and to 
which Oglethorpe gave the 
name of Tekyl Island, after 



44 Georgia History Stories. 

his friend Sir Joseph Jekyl, of England. This island 
is now owned by the ''Jekyl Club," composed of north- 
ern milHonaires, who use it as a winter resort and have 
erected* many costly houses there. 

The next day, going further down the coast, they 
discovered a very large and beautiful island of which 
Oglethorpe had never even heard before. It had a 
high bluff on the western side and was covered with a 
grand forest of pines and live-oaks, from whose boughs 
hung festoons of long, gray moss. The Indians called it 
Wisso Island, or, in English, Sassafras Island, because 
many sassafras bushes grew there ; but Oglethorpe 
changed its name to Cumberland, after the king's 
young son, William, Duke of Cumberland, the same 
who had given Toonahowi the fine gold watch. It is 
said that Oglethorpe gave it this name at the request 
of Toonahowi himself, who was with the party and 
had with him the much-prized watch. On the high 
bluff on the northwestern side of the island, Oglethorpe 
marked out the plan of a fort ; and at the southern end, 
he marked out the plan of another fort. Both of these 
forts were afterward built good and strong. A little 
below Cumberland they came to a small island that 
looked like the Garden of Eden, so covered was it with 
flower-bearing trees and shrubbery, in full bloom. 



Tomo-chi-chi. 



45 



Oglethorpe named it Amelia Island. On the northern 

end of this island now stands the Florida town of 

Fernandina, for the island belongs to Florida now 
though it was then a 



part of Georgia. 

Oglethorpe's party 
continued to sail slowly 
down the coast for two 
days longer. On the 
afternoon of the second 
day they came to a high, 
rocky promontory jut- 
ting out from the main- 
land a little distance into 




Mouth of the St. John's River as 
It Appears To-day. 



the sea. The whole party climbed to the top of these high 
rocks ; and looking to the southward they saw two miles 
away a great river emptying into the ocean, and on the 
high banks on the other side a lonely log house that 
looked Uke a small fort. The river was the St. John's. 
Tomo-chi-chi, pointing with his outstretched arm, said : 
"That river is the dividing line. All on this side we 
hunt ; all on the other side they hunt. That house is the 
Spanish fort where there are soldiers to keep us 
from crossing to their side. But while I was in Eng- 
land some Spaniards and Florida Indians crossed over 



46 Georgia History Stories. 

to our side and killed some of our warriors, so to-night 
when they are all asleep in that house we will creep up 
and kill them/' making a gesture as if braining a man 
with a hatchet. The old mico spoke with great excite- 
ment and was in dead earnest. The Indian instinct 
glared fiercely in his eye. He was no longer the mild 
man of peace. He was nothing now but a ferocious, 
bloodthirsty savage gloating over an opportunity for 
revenge. The other Indians were equally excited, like 
hounds that see their prey ! It was all that Oglethorpe 
could do to restrain them from making a secret midnight 
attack on the Spanish soldiers supposed to be in the 
lonely house on the river bank. He knew that such an 
attack would bring disaster to his colony, for it would 
give the Spaniards an excuse for invading Georgia 
with a hostile army, a thing that they were only too 
anxious to do. At length he succeeded in getting Tomo- 
chi-chi to take his warriors back to their camp in a 
palmetto grove several miles up the coast, and the night 
passed without further adventure. 

Early the next morning Oglethorpe, attended by a 
few men, took a boat and rowed up the St. John's 
River to the Spanish fort, but he found not a living 
soul there ; he rowed some miles further up the stream 
to another fort, but that also was unoccupied. He 



Tomo-chi-chi. 47 

then returned to the camp in the pahnetto grove, where 
he found that during his absence Tomo-chi-chi had 
shpped away with two boat-loads of Indians. Whither 
he had gone, no one could say. Oglethorpe feared that 
the old man was up to mischief, but it was night now 
and he could not well go in search of him. 

About ten o'clock that night a canoe containing four 
Indians rowed up to shore opposite the palmetto grove 
camp, and the Indians sprang out and rushed up to 
the camp fire, exclaiming to Oglethorpe: "Tomo-chi- 
chi has found enemies ! They have a big fire on a hill. 
When they go to sleep, he is going to creep up with his 
braves and kill them. He sent us back to take care of 
you, but we want to be at the killing. Please let us go 
back and help about the killing!" They were terribly 
excited; they brandished their hatchets and uttered the 
war whoop and foamed at the mouth and jumped about 
like men beside themselves, all the time begging Ogle- 
thorpe to let them go back and "help about the killing." 
Quickly Oglethorpe took the whole party, gentlemen, 
Highlanders, and Indians, in the large boat and hurried 
down the coast in search of Tomo-chi-chi. Four miles 
down he found the old man and his warriors hiding 
in the black darkness behind some thick bushes, like 
wild beasts crouching to spring upon their prey. On a 



Georo-ia History Stories. 



wars to fight at that time, he went over to the Conti- 
nent and joined' the Austrian army, which was then 
engaged in a war with the Turks. The leader of the 
Austrian army was Prince Eugene of Savoy, the most 

brilliant soldier of his 
day. He was a small 
man but a great general, 
"a bright little soul with 
a flash in him as of 
heaven's own lightning," 
as Carlyle, the famous 
English writer, said of 
him. Prince Eugene took 
a very decided liking to 
young Oglethorpe and 
Prince Eugene of Savoy. made him his aide-de- 

camp, with the rank of Captain. By the side of this "bright 
little soul with a flash in him as of heaven's own light- 
ning," Oglethorpe thoroughly learned the soldier's trade 
and fought with dashing valor in many desperate bat- 
tles. These were his romantic days, and he always loved 
to talk about them. When he was an old, old man, 
nearly a hundred years old, he would charm brilliant 
company with his vivid descriptions of the battles in 
which he had fought by the side of Prince Eugene. 




James Oglethorpe. 5 

When the Turkish war was over, he returned to 
England and settled down to ways of peace. His 
father and elder brothers died, and he inherited the 
family estates. He was now a very rich man, but he 
lived a simple and sober life. He was elected to 
Parliament and served as a member for many years. 
While he was in Parliament, an event occurred that 




I'he iluuses of Parliament. 
turned his attention toward America and caused him 
to become the founder of Georgia. This is how it 
happened : 

There w^as a cruel law in England at that time by 
which a person in debt might be thrown into prison 
by his creditors and kept there until his debts were 
somehow paid. Many poor, unfortunate people, inno- 



50 



Georgia History Stories. 



he never rose again. There for days and weeks he 
lay as helpless as a new-born babe. He knew that his 
end was very near, so he called his family and the lead- 
ing men of his little tribe around him and exhorted 
them to continue their friendship to the English, and 
asked that he might be buried in the settlement 
of Savannah that he loved and among the people that 

had always been so kind 
to him. 

One day John Wes- 
ley called on him, but he 
seemed too feeble to talk, 
and not a word did Wes- 
ley get from him. Per- 
haps he would not try 
to talk to Wesley ; for, 
as we know, the heart of 
the old savage had never 
George Whitfield Preaching. warmed to this great di- 
vine. A few days later George Whitfield, one of the 
most famous preachers that ever lived, came to see 
him. He found him lying on a blanket under the shade 
of a great live-oak tree, while his faithful old wife, 
Seenawki, sat by his side fanning him with a snow- 
white fan made of crane's feathers. Whitfield took his 




Tomo-chi-chi. 51 

hand and (not knowing what else to say, I suppose) 
asked him: "How long do you think you have to live?" 
''I do not know," replied Tomo-chi-chi; which was a 
sensible answer to a foolish question. "Where do you 
expect to go when you die?" pursued Whitfield. "To 
heaven!" answered Tomo-chi-chi, in simple faith. 
Maybe that was the last word he ever spoke; for a 
few hours after Whitfield left, the old mico died, aged 
ninety-seven years. 

For ninety years he had wandered through the 
gloomy, primeval forests of America, in intellectual and 
spiritual darkness. Many, no doubt, were his adven- 
tures, valiant deeds, and hair-breadth escapes, for we 
know that the Creeks counted him as one of the greatest 
hunters and warriors of their nation ; but in blackest 
oblivion lies all that part of his life. It was only dur- 
ing the last few of his many years on earth that he came 
out into the open where history could take note of him, 
like a star that has made its journey across the firma- 
ment under clouds but emerges for a little while just 
before its setting, to shine on the world ! History tells 
us that he was honest and truthful, bright of mind, 
generous of heart, earnest of purpose, strong of will, 
eager for improvement, anxious for the uplifting and 
betterment of his race, a sincere believer in Almighty 



xvi Illustrations and Maps. 

Page. 

City Hall at Augusta 358 

Medical College, Augusta . . . . „ 358 

A Black Mammy and Her Charge 361 

Type of Middle Georgia Slave : Family Cook 362 

Type of Middle Georgia Slave: Mulatto House-Maid . . 363 

A Mountaineer and His Wood Cart 364 

A Piny Woodsman and His Splinter Cart 364 



PART I. 

COLONIAL PERIOD 

CHAPTER L 

JAMES OGLETHORPE. 

I. Oglethorpe's early career. 

James Oglethorpe was born at Westminster, Eng- 
land, on June 1st, 1689. While he was yet a babe in 
the cradle it might have been expected that he would 
become a great man, for he came of a family of great 
people. Six hundred years before he was born, one of 
his ancestors. Sheriff Oglethorpe, was a high officer in 
the English army and was killed in the famous Battle 
of Hastings while bravely fighting for his country 
against the invader, William the Conqueror. This 
brave soldier had many distinguished descendants, the 
greatest of whom was James Oglethorpe. 

James's father. Sir Theophilus Oglethorpe, also was 
a noted officer in the English army. He fought with 
great valor in many battles and rose to the high rank 
of Major-General. When he was forty years old, he 
retired from the army and settled down in an elegant 
home in the little country town of Godalming, about 

1 



CHAPTER IV. 
THE SALZBURGERS. 

I. PERSECUTION IN AUSTRIA. 

If you will look on the map of Europe, you will find 
located in the extreme western part of Austria a town 
by the name of Salzburg. It is situated on the Salza 
River and is surrounded by smooth green valleys, rocky 
mountains, and clear, swift-running streams. Two 
hundred years ago this town and the surrounding green 
valleys and mountain gorges were inhabited by a simple, 
honest German folk known as the Salzburgers. They 
were chiefly poor people, and they dressed in plain 
clotlies and wore big slouch hats with broad brims and 
peaked crowns. Those in the town were makers of 
famous wooden clocks that were known all over 
Europe, and those in the country earned their living as 
farmers and herdsmen. In religion most of these 
people were Protestants and belonged to what is called 
the Lutheran Church. Austria and Germany were at 
that time Roman Catholic countries, and by the law of 
the land no other form of religion was allowed, and 
Protestants were bitterly persecuted. In some way, 
however, it happened that these quiet Salzburgers in 



The Sahburgers. 55 

their remote mountain fastnesses were for many years 
not molested in their religion but were allowed to wor- 
ship God in their own way. Perhaps the rulers of the 
country thought, "The poor creatures are so quiet and 
harmless away off there that we will let them alone." 
Still they did not dare to build churches or to have 
regular preachers. Out of doors in the thickly wooded 
mountain gorges they held their services and poured 
out their devout souls in worship to that God who "pre- 
fers before all temples the upright heart and pure!" 

But after a while their days of peace came to an end. 
In the year 1729, a new Archbishop was put in charge 
of Salzburg. His name was Leopold, Count Firmian, 
and he was feudal lord of the district as well as an 
official of the Roman Catholic Church. He immediately 
began a cruel persecution of the poor Protestant Salz- 
burgers. He made his sheriffs and bailiffs enter their 
houses and break open their chests and take their Lu- 
theran Bibles and hymn-books out and burn them in 
bonfires in the streets. He had their leading men ar- 
rested and brought before him, and said to them : 'T 
will throw you into prison, confiscate your property, and 
destroy your homes if you do not abandon your Prot- 
estant religion." "We cannot, your reverence, must 
not, dare not," bravely answered the poor men. "Then 



12 Georgia History Stories. 

tons burden, was chartered to take the emigrants across 
the ocean to America. In her hold, as she lay moored 
to the wharf at Gravesend, were stored provisions 
and all kinds of tools and implements for the journey 
and for getting the colony well established in Georgia. 
Everything was then ready for the voyage. 



CHAPTER 11. 
FOUNDING OF SAVANNAH. 

I. SEEKING A LOCATION. 

At high noon on the IGth of November, in the year 
1732, the good ship Anne spread her white sails and, 
like some great canvas-winged bird of the sea, flew 
from the shores of England westward over the Atlantic, 
bearing in her kindly bosom James Oglethorpe and his 
one hundred and twenty emigrants. She did not sail 
straight for Georgia, but for Charleston, South Caro- 
lina, where Oglethorpe wished to get the advice and 
help of the Governor of that province in settling his 
colony. She reached Charleston on the 13th of Janu 
ary, 1733, and cast anchor just outside the harbor bar. 
Oglethorpe, leaving his people on board, was rowed to 
shore in an open boat, and was received with great 
honor by Governor Johnson and the Legislature of 
South Carolina, which was then in session. 

The Governor had been notified several weeks be- 
fore that Oglethorpe was coming and he was prepared 
to extend to him a hearty welcome. The people of 
South Carolina were very glad that an English colony 
was to be planted in Georgia, for well they knew that 

13 



58 Georgia History Stories. 

They assembled in the town of Berschtalgaden, 
Bavaria, to make ready for the emigration. The good 
Protestants of that town furnished them with three 
wagons, each drawn by two horses, for the long, over- 
land journey through the German Empire to the sea. 
In two of the wagons they placed all of their earthly 
goods and chattels, and in the third wagon they seated 
the feeble women and the little children. The men and 
the stronger women and children walked. A noble 
band of martyrs marshaled under no flag save the ban- 
ner of the cross, carrying no weapons but their Bibles 
and prayer-books, following no general except the Great 
Captain of Salvation, they trudged patiently for hun- 
dreds of miles through the German Empire northwest- 
ward toward the sea. Most of their way lay through 
Roman Catholic countries where they were subjected to 
many indignities and insults, but ever and anon they 
would come to a Protestant town where they received 
the utmost kindness and love. 

About the middle of November they reached the 
Protestant town of Frankfort-on-the-Main, which was 
the end of their long, wearisome foot journey. The 
people of Frankfort turned out in great crowds to wel- 
come them and to minister to their wants. In this 
beautiful city, among these kind people, they rested for 



The Sahbiirgers. 59 

several days; and then, embarking in a vessel that had 
been provided for them, they sailed down the River 
Main to the Rhine and down the Rhine toward the sea. 
As they glided down this beautiful river between the 
castellated crags, the vineyards, and the white-walled 
cities that adorn its banks, they poured out their hearts 
in joyous songs to the living God. They were fine sing- 
ers, for from childhood they had been taught singing 
as a part of their religion; and for beauty and melody 
their hymns have never been surpassed. 

On the 27th of November they reached Rotterdam, 
where the Rhine pours its waters into the North Sea. 
Here they were joined by Rev. John Martin Bolzius 
and Rev. Israel Christian Gronau, distinguished and 
cultured men, who were to accompany them to Georgia 
as their chosen pastors and teachers. From Rotterdam 
thev made a tempestuous passage across the channel and 
through the strait to Dover, England. On the 28th of 
December they at last embarked from Dover on their 
long voyage to the new home that awaited them in 
Georgia. Born and bred in the interior of Europe 
among the peaks and gorges of the Alps Mountains, 
not one of them, except Bolzius and Gronau, had ever 
before looked upon the grandeur of the mighty ocean. 
It was a great 'wonder to them and inspired their devout 



8 Georgia History Stories. 

tude of humanity, but he did not stop at this. While 
visiting the prisons his sympathies were deeply aroused 
for the poor debtors whom he found languishing be- 
hind iron bars, though innocent of any crime. He 
determined to try to do something to help them out of 
their sad condition. By his earnest appeals he got 
Parliament to pass a law by which they might be set 
free, provided they would agree to go to America and 
establish there for England a new colony on a broad 
strip of unsettled country already claimed by her, south 
of the Savannah River. It lay next to Florida, which 
then belonged to Spain and had been colonized by her. 
The Spaniards were at that time one of the most powerful 
and warlike nations in the world, and in their hearts 
they were very hostile to the English, although not 
openly at war with them. The Spanish soldiers were 
bold, skillful, and heartless ; so much so that some one 
said of them, *'A Spanish soldier is a machine of steel 
with the devil inside of it!" 

Fortunately for Oglethorpe's enterprise, King George 
II of England was anxious to plant colonies in his unoc- 
cupied possessions south of the Savannah River as a pro- 
tection for South Carolina against the bold and unscrupu- 
lous Spaniards of Florida. So he gladly granted to Ogle- 
thorpe "for the use of debtors and other poor persons" 



James Oglethorpe. 9 

all the country between the Savannah and the Altamaha 
Rivers, and as far westward as they might choose to go. 
This strip of country was named Georgia in honor 
of King George. A Board of Trustees, consisting of 
thirty-six members, among whom were some of the 




King George II. 
most distinguished men in England, was appointed by 
the King to have entire charge of planting, establishing, 
and governing the new colony. They were to serve 
without pay or compensation of any sort. It must be 
purely a labor of love with them. The good and great 



62 Georgia History Stories. 

flowed into the big creek. It was rather thinly wooded 
with tall pines and small oaks, cypress and myrtle trees, 
and quantities of sassafras bushes. It was located in 
what is now Effingham County, six miles west of the 
Savannah River and about four miles from the present 
town of Springfield. "This suits us exactly," said Von 
Rek and the others ; ''we will build our town here, and 
we will call it Ebenezer, 'the stone of help,', for truly 
'Hitherto the Lord hath helped us !' " The party re- 
mained in the locality for several days and, under the 
direction of Oglethorpe, carefully laid out the future 
town ; then they made their way back to Savannah 
through the woods, taking care to "blaze" the trees as 
they went so that they might easily find their way to 
the spot again when they returned with the colonists. 
Several weeks later, early in the month of April, the 
whole body of Salzburgers, guided through the forest 
by the "blazed" trees, moved from Savannah to Ebe- 
nezer. They made the journey on foot, their house- 
hold goods being carried in packs on the backs of the 
few horses that could be had. The strong men carried 
the babies and the little children in their arms. Kind- 
hearted Oglethorpe accompanied them on horseback, 
though he really walked nearly all the way, lending his 
horse turn about to the weakly women of the party. It 



The Sahhurgers. 63 

was a toilsome and trying journey ; for there was no road 
to travel in, much of the way lay through swamps and 
jungles, and the streams had to be crossed on fallen 
trees. But the Salzburgers were strong of limb and 
stout of heart, and as they trudged cheerily along they 
often made the great forest ring with songs of praise 
to God. Although the distance was less than thirty 
miles it took them two or three days to reach their 
destination. 

On the 10th day of April they reached Ebenezer. 
A gang of eight stout men, who had been sent ten days 
ahead of them, had already erected rude bush arbor 
tents for them, and in these they were made fairly com- 
fortable until they could build better homes. Ogle- 
thorpe carefully divided out the land among them. To 
each family he gave a two-acre lot in town and a farm 
of fifty acres in the suburbs. They went to work with a 
will, clearing the lands, building houses, and planting 
crops. The good people of Savannah sent them a pres- 
ent of ten cows and calves which furnished an abun- 
dance of milk for the little colony of seventy-eight per- 
sons. In the hollow of a big tree they found a great 
quantity of honey which the wild bees had made. The 
friendly Indians near by supplied them with venison, 
their huntsmen killed wild turkeys and partridges in the 



64 Georgia History Stories. 

woods, and from the clear waters of the tortuous Ebe- 
nezer Creek they caught perch and ''channel cats," and 
some one taught them how to brew a very good beer 
made of molasses, sassafras, and pme tops. So, as far 
as the table was concerned, our good Salzburgers lived 
"on the fat of the land." In a few months they were 
joined by another party of sixty or more brother Salz- 
burgers, who had just come over from Germany, and 
the town of Ebenezer now contained about one hun- 
dred and fifty inhabitants. 

Here in the wilderness of Georgia, far distant from 
the land of their birth and the graves of their fathers, 
these poor exiles found at least a sheltering home of 
sympathy and love. 

IV. NEW EBENEZER. 

But the trials and tribulations of the Salzburgers 
were not yet over. Baron Von Rek, as it turned out, 
was a very poor judge of land, or at least of Georgia 
land. The region around Ebenezer, instead of being 
"rich and fat," as he supposed, proved to be thin and 
sterile. The Salzburgers with their hardest labor could 
not dig a living out of it, and had to depend largely on 
the charity of the Trustees for a support. Further- 
more, the big Ebenezer Creek which Von Rek had de- 
scribed as "a noble river, twelve foot deep, and navi- 



The Salzhiirgers. 65 

gable for large boats," proved to be entirely useless for 
commercial purposes. Its channel was so crooked and 
tortuous that no boat of considerable size could make 
the sharp bends or approach within six miles of Ebe- 
nezer. The little streams that emptied into the big 
creek, when swollen by the heavy rains of winter and 
spring, overflowed their banks and flooded the country: 
but during the droughts of summer they dried up into 
stagnant pools and ponds that filled the air with 
malaria. This caused a great deal of sickness among 
the people, and many of them died. 

Separated from the rest of the world in the depths 
of the wilderness, toiling like slaves and yet unable to 
make a living, sorely stricken with sickness and death, 
no wonder the poor Salzburgers, patient people though 
they were, became dissatisfied and disheartened. 

Early in the spring of 173G, John Martin Bolzius 
and Israel Christian Gronau, the two good pastors of the 
Salzburgers, appeared at Savannah as representatives 
of their people to ask Oglethorpe to let them move to a 
better locality. Kind-hearted Oglethorpe, finding that 
the entire colony was heartily in favor of it, gave his 
consent to the move. Then the whole colony of Salz- 
burgers packed up bag and baggage and, abandoning 
their farms and houses, upon which they had wasted two 



66 Georgia History Stories. 

years of hard toil, moved for six miles through the 
trackless forests to the place selected for their new 
settlement. This place was a beautiful and romantic 
spot on the banks of the Savannah River. It was 
known as Red Bluff on account of the color of the soil. 
To the east, at the foot of the bluff, rolled the broad 
waters of the Savannah ; to the south flowed a small 
stream now known as Lockner's Creek ; while to the 
north Ebenezer Creek, their old friend, came zigzag- 
ging to pour its tribute waters into the Savannah. 

Here they had all the hard work of clearing the 
forest and building homes to do over again ; but they 
went at it with strong arms and brave hearts, and in 
two years their new tow^n had risen like magic. Cling- 
ing with affection to the old name, they called the 
place New Ebenezer. In the meantime Old Ebenezer 
went to rack and ruin. 

God blessed the Salzburgers in their new homes. At 
last, after years of persecution, exile, wandering, and 
misfortune, these simple, honest people found peace and 
happiness "under their own vine and fig tree." For some 
years they were the most prosperous people in Georgia. 
Other Salzburgers came over from the fatherland to 
join them. In all, about fifteen hundred Salzburgers 
emigrated to Georgia. Some of these settled in Sa- 



The Sahburgers. 67 

vannah and Frederica, but most of them made their 
home in New Ebenezer and the surrounding country. 
They worked hard, and the soil yielded them abundant 
harvests. For a number of years they paid much at- 
tention to raising silk. In this industry they were 
greatly encouraged by Oglethorpe and the Trustees, 
who had a notion that Georgia could be made one of 
the greatest silk-growing countries in the world. 

The leaves of the white mulberry tree are the nat- 
ural food of the silk worm, and great quantities of 
these trees were brought from Italy and planted in the 
country around Ebenezer. From first to last many 
thousands of dollars were made by the Salzburgers by 
the silk culture industry ; but later on other employ- 
ments were found more profitable, and the raising of 
silk was entirely abandoned in Georgia. Good Queen 
Caroline of England had a dress made of Georgia silk, 
which she used to wear on state occasions and of which 
she was very proud. 

The Salzburgers all belonged to the Lutheran 
Church. In this faith they were born and bred, and for 
their devotion to it they had suffered cruel persecution 
and exile from their native land. They were served 
for many years by the three good pastors, Revs. Bolzius 
and Gronau, who came to Georgia with them, and Rev. 



68 



Georgia History Stories. 



Rabenhorst, who came over later. They were not only 
the pastors but also the principal governors and rulers 
of the colony. Three better or more saintly men never 
lived on earth. For many years after coming to Georgia 




Queen Caroline. 



the people adhered strictly to their mother tongue, the- 
German language, and they would not encourage their 
children to learn English. This, in the long run, proved 
a great disadvantage to them, as it cut them off, in a 



The Salzhurgers. 69 

large measure, from intercourse and commerce with the 
other colonies in Georgia. 

Thus in the beautiful wilderness of Georgia on the 
banks of the broad Savannah River and its tributary 
creeks, these good people lived for many years in peace, 
prosperity, and happiness. 

"Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife, 
Their sober wishes never learned to stray ; 
Along the cool, sequestered vale of life 
They kept the noiseless tenor of their way." 

Still their life was not without its sorrows and its 
tragedies. In January, 1745, their good pastor, Israel 
Gronau, died after a long sickness. His mind was 
strong and bright to the last but his body was very 
weak. As his brethren gathered around his dying bed, 
he said to one of them, "Friend, raise my arms for me"; 
then clasping his thin, uplifted hands he cried in a clear, 
sweet voice, "Come, Lord Jesus, come !" and his pure 
spirit took its flight to that other world where supernal 
beauty dwells and the rainbow never fades. His death 
was felt as a keen personal grief by every member of 
the colony. A Rev. Mr. Lembke was called from Ger- 
many soon afterward to take his place and proved to 
be a worthy successor. 

Some years later the saintly John Martin Bolzius 



70 



Georgia History Stories. 



also ended his mission on earth and was gathered to his 
fathers. His death turned out to be not only a deep 
sorrow but a great calamity to the little colony. The 
Lutheran Council in Germany sent over to Georgia to 
take his place a Mr. Triebner. He was a highly edu- 
cated, talented, energetic young man ; but he was self- 
centered, imperious, and bad hearted. He was a great 

mischief maker, and im- 
mediately set about stir- 
ring up trouble. He 
soon had the peaceful 
and harmonious Salzbur- 
gers divided into two vi- 
olent factions that strove 
against each other with 
great bitterness, causing 
deep spiritual wounds 
that were many years in 
healing. During his ministration of ten years he did 
much harm, and was a constant ''thorn in the flesh" to 
the best people of the colony. 

About 1744, the devout souls of the Salzburgers 
were made happy by the erection of a fine new brick 
church at Ebenezer. It cost over two thousand dollars 
and most of the money was contributed by their kind 




Jerusalem Church at Ebenezer. 



The Salzhtirgers. 71 

Lutheran friends in Germany. It would be considered 
a plain little church now ; but to these poor exiles in 
the Georgia wilderness it seemed a magnificent edifice, 
and they were very proud of it. It was surmounted by 
a neat belfry, on the spire of which appeared the figure 
of a swan made of shining brass ; for the swan was the 
''coat of arms" of Martin Luther, the great founder of 
the Lutheran Church. It was built good and strong 
and stands there to-day as sound as when it was erected 
one hundred and sixty years ago. 

Few people in Georgia suffered more from the 
Revolutionary War than did the gentle Salzburgers. 
Most of them were true to the patriot cause, but 
Preacher Triebner, who might always be counted on. to 
be on the wrong side, was a rank Tory and led a 
number of the people off with him. As soon as the 
British had capkired Savannah in 1779, this odious Mr. 
Triebner mounted his horse and galloped to that plan- 
tation where he called on Colonel Campbell, the British 
commander, and advised him to send a detachment of 
soldiers at once to Ebenezer. He was even mean enough 
to lead these soldiers himself against his own town and 
his own people. 

During all of the rest of the war a British garrison 
was kept at Ebenezer. and armies of British soldiers 



72 Georgia History Stories. 

were constantly marching back and forth through the 
place. They treated the patriot inhabitants so badlv that 
most of them abandoned their homes and moved away, 
and the houses of many of them were burned by the 
British and the. Tories. The soldiers desecrated Jerusa- 
lem Church most shamefully. They destroyed the pre- 
cious church records, cut up the benches and the pulpit 
for firewood, and used the church itself as a stable for 
their cavalry horses. When the refugee Salzburgers 
returned to Ebenezer after the war was over, they found 
their dear town in ruins and they had it nearly all to 
build over again. 

When the British army returned to England after 
the war, Preacher Triebner went with them, for well 
he knew that he would not be tolerated in America any 
longer. The Salzburgers never saw his hateful face 
again. 

As the children and the grandchildren of the pilgrim 
Salzburgers grew up, most of them moved away from 
the quiet place to seek their fortunes in other parts of 
Georgia and in other states. By the year 1820 the 
town was completely deserted and fell into decay and 
oblivion. Nothing is left of it now except old Jerusa- 
lem Church, which still stands on the bluff by the river 
with the brass swan glistening on its lofty spire. Near 



The Sahhnrgers. 73 

by is the grave-yard where rest the bones of the saintly 
preachers, Bolzius, Gronati, Lembke, and Rabenhorst, 
and many other good Salzburgers of that olden time. 
Hundreds of the descendants of the Salzburgers still 
live in different parts of Georgia, mainly in Savannah 
and in Lowndes, Liberty, and Effingham counties. 
They are among the most substantial citizens of the 
State ; some of them have become wealthy as merchants 
and farmers, but not many of them seem to have ever 
attained to any great distinction in the professions or in 
public life. 



CHAPTER V. 

THE HIGHLANDERS. 

The Spaniards down in Florida were dangerous 
neighbors for the Georgia settlers. There had been a 
long dispute between Spain and England concerning the 
territory claimed by the two countries in America. 
Spain declared that both Georgia and South Carolina 
belonged by rights to her, and she was constantly threat- 
ening to invade the country and take it away from the 
English. To guard against this threatened invasion, 
Oglethorpe determined to plant colonies and build forts 
along the sea coast and on the sea coast islands south 
of Savannah, as far down as the mouth of the St. 
John's River, which was then considered the boundary 
line between Georgia and Florida. He began to cast 
about to see where he could find people to send down 
into this dangerous region, and he was very fortunate 
in finding them. 

In the year 1736 there emigrated to Georgia a 
splendid body of Highlanders from the hills and moun- 
tains of Scotland. The company consisted of one hun- 
dred and fifty men and fifty women and children. They 
were not paupers, like the debtors who settled in Savan- 

74 



The Highlanders. 75 

nah, nor impoverished exiles like the Salzburgers who 
settled Ebenezer, but brave, sturdy, independent folk, 
whose spirit had never been broken by poverty or perse- 
cution. They belonged to the farming class of people 
in Scotland, and were accustomed to hard work out in 
the open air. The men had all been trained, too, to mili- 
tary service. They were tall, broad-shouldered, stalwart 
fellows ; and dressed in 
their plaids, with their 
broadswords, targets, and 
fire-arms, they made a 
superb body of soldiers. 
Altogether they were the 
finest lot of emigrants 
that had yet come to 
Georgia. They were the 
very people that Ogle- 
thorpe needed to guard 
the dangerous southern 
frontier. 

Oglethorpe had se- 
lected as their home a 
place on the banks of 
the Altamaha River, 
near its mouth, sixty 




A Highland Officer. 



76 Georgia History Stories. 

miles below Savannah, right where the little town of 
Darien now stands. They called the place New Inver- 
ness, after the city of Inverness in Scotland, from the 
neighborhood of which most of them had come; but 
the name was afterward changed to Darien. 

While the emigrants were in Savannah, some med- 
dlesome Carolinians tried to frighten them from going 
south by telling them, "The spot that Oglethorpe has 
selected for your home is so situated that the Spaniards 
can shoot you from the houses in their fort." "Why, 
then, we will beat them out of their fort, and shall 
have houses ready built to live in !" answered the brave 
Highlanders. 

New Inverness was beautifully located on a high 
bluff on the river bank, in a grove of broad spreading 
live-oaks, while all around for many miles stretched 
the vast, level pine forests of southern Georgia. In 
this great wilderness the hardy Highlanders went to 
work in high spirits and with intelligent industry, and 
it is wonderful what they accomplished. In a few 
months under their busy hands a strong fort was built 
on the banks of the river, and a pretty little town 
arose with many houses surrounded by well-cultivated 
gardens and outlying fields. The soil was very thin 
and poorly adapted to agriculture ; but for a few years 



The Highlanders. 77 

while it was yet fresh and enriched with the decayed 
leaves of centuries, it yielded abundant harvests. Well 
might it be said of these good Scotch emigrants, in 
the beautiful language of the Bible, "The wilderness 
and the solitary places shall be glad for them, and the 
desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose!" 

The Highlanders were great favorites with Ogle- 
thorpe. His soldier heart was completely won by their 
energy, heroism, and fine military bearing. Soon after 
they had settled at New Inverness, and before they had 
yet built their houses, he paid them a visit of several 
days. While he was there, in order to please them, he 
wore the Highland costume. Captain Mackay, the leader 
of the colony, offered him the use of his own comfort- 
able tent and warm bed, the only one in the settle- 
ment that was furnished with sheets, but Oglethorpe 
declined the offer and slept out of doors by the camp 
fire wrapped in his Scotch plaid. While he remained, 
he cheerfully shared all the hardships of the people, 
and by his kindness and genial manners made himself 
greatly beloved by them. 

All the other colonists of Georgia felt grateful to 
the Highlanders, for well they knew that these doughty 
men stood as a bulwark and a protection between them 
and the dreaded Spaniards. In the Spanish war that 



78 Georgia History Stories. 

came a few years later, the valiant Highlanders, as we 
shall see in the next chapter, were Oglethorpe's main- 
stay. They fought with reckless bravery, and it was 
mainly through them that the colony of Georgia was 
saved from destruction. Many of them were slain, and 
in all ways they bore the brunt of the conflict and were 
the chief sufferers of the war. 

This gallant band of emigrants suffered dreadfully 
from the Spanish war. Many of them were killed in 
battle, many taken prisoners, and the colony was broken 
up and scattered. Altogether they had a hard time in 
America. Their story was a short, brave, sad one. 
Their little town of New Inverness passed into other 
hands, and its name was changed to Darien. No body 
of emigrants that crossed the great waters in those early 
days to make their home in the New World was more 
interesting and picturesque than the doughty High- 
landers who settled on the banks of the Altamaha in 
the somber piny woods of Georgia. 



CHAPTER VI. 

FREDERICA. 

Having seen his Highlanders well settled at New 
Inverness, Oglethorpe went ahead with great energy to 
carry out his plan of establishing forts along the south- 
ern coast of Georgia as a protection against the Span- 
iards. With his fine military eye he saw that the first 
and most important of these forts should be located on 
St. Simon's Island near the mouth of the Altamaha 
River. St. Simon's is separated from the mainland by 
a narrow strip of water which is really an arm of the 
Altamaha. It is a narrow stream, but the water is very 
deep and navigable for the largest boats. Oglethorpe 
knew that if the Spaniards should ever invade Georgia, 
their fleet would be sure to come up this stream: and 
for this reason he determined to place a strong fort on 
the west side of the island by the river's edge. He also 
thought it best to plant a colony back of the fort and 
establish a sort of military town there. 

St. Simon's was a beautiful island ; and at that time 
it was covered with a grand primeval forest of live-oak, 
water-oak, laurel, bay, cedar, sweet gum, and pines. 
The trees were festooned with long gray moss ; and 

79 



80 Georgia History Stories. 

from many of them hung vines bearing muscadines, 
purple fox-grapes, and fragrant yellow jasmine. The 
ground beneath them was covered with palmettoes and 
bushes of azaleas, white, pink, and scarlet honeysuckles, 
and all manner of beautiful wild flowers. The woods 
abounded with deer, rabbits, raccoons, opossums, squir- 
rels, wild turkeys, turtle doves, mocking birds, and 
great droves of rice birds; while the adjacent marshes 
were frequented by wild geese, herons, cranes, and marsh 
hens ; and the waters teemed with fishes, crabs, shrimps, 
and oysters. The soil was fertile, the climate healthful, 
and the air delightful, the temperature being neither 
very warm nor very cold. Surely it was a choice place 
for the habitation of man ! 

On the northwest side of the island there was a 
cleared spot about forty acres in extent where an Indian 
town and cornfields had once stood, but which was now 
deserted. On this spot Oglethorpe determined to plant 
his colony and build his fort. For this purpose he 
brought over from England a shipload of two hun- 
dred emigrants. Some were German Lutherans, like 
the Salzburgers ; a few, perhaps, were Scotch High- 
landers ; but most of them were English people. They 
landed at Savannah in February, 1730. Oglethorpe took 
thirty of the strongest men of the company and one 



Frederica. 81 

hundred other workmen and a number of Indians and 
sailed down to St. Simon's to begin the building of the 
town and the fort. 

Arriving at the island, he immediately put his labor- 
ers to work, and under his energetic supervision 
they worked like beavers. The town was soon laid off 
and the land cleared. There was in the company a 
shrewd Jew, who had lived in Brazil and who knew 
how to make houses out of palmetto leaves. This plant 
fortunately grew in great abundance on the island. So 
under the skilful direction of the Jew many palmetto 
booths or bowers were erected. Each one was thirty 
feet long and twenty feet wide. They made a pretty 
appearance as they stood in rows like soldiers' tents, only 
much further apart. They were so well constructed 
that they kept perfectly dry inside, even during the 
hardest and most driving rain ; and they served finely 
as a temporary abode for the colonists until more sub- 
stantial houses could be built. To the town thus 
started, Oglethorpe gave the name of Frederica, after 
Frederick, Prince of Wales, eldest son of King George 
II of England. 

While the Jew was attending to the erection of the 
palmetto houses, Oglethorpe was directing the building 
of the fort; and a great fort he made of it. There 



82 Georgia History Stories. 

is no rock or stone in that part of Georgia, so Ogle- 
thorpe made his fort of a sort of artificial stone called 
tabby, composed of crushed shells and cement, a com- 
position almost as enduring as granite. The fort was 
built at the water's edge and commanded the full sweep 
of the river, so that no hostile ship could pass it. 
Back in the woods several hundred yards from the fort, 
he erected a large storehouse and barracks building, 
also made of tabby and possessing considerable archi- 
tectural beauty. 

Besides this great fort Oglethorpe built a number 
of others down the southern coast of Georgia ; one at 
the south end of St. Simon's Island, two on Cumberland 
Island, — one at the north and the other at the south 
end, — one on Amelia Island, and one on St. George 
Island at the mouth of the St. John's River. In each 
of these forts he placed cannon and a small garrison of 
soldiers. This pushing of his forts and his soldiers 
down to the very edge of the Spanish country was a 
very bold, audacious step on Oglethorpe's part. It was 
what the gamblers call "playing a blufif game" ; that is, 
putting on the appearance of being stronger and more 
confident than he really was. It had the intended effect : 
it frightened the Spaniards and deterred them for several 
years from making the invasion they so much desired. 



Frederica. 83 

Early in M'arch, the palmetto houses being finished, 
the colonists, who had been waiting at Savannah for 
a month, were brought down to Frederica. They came 
in broad, open rowboats called periaguas. It was a 
trying voyage for them, exposed, as they were, to the 
chill March winds. When at last beautiful St. Simon's 
was reached, it looked like Paradise to them. The 
women went cheerily to housekeeping in their cozy pal- 
metto bowers, while the men cleared the lands and 
erected more permanent homes. The people were all 
charmed with their new home, as well they might be. 

Frederica grew and flourished mightily. When at 
its best it numbered, including the soldiers, more than 
a thousand inhabitants ; and, except Savannah, it was 
the largest and most important town in Georgia. It 
was a favorite place with Oglethorpe. He made his 
home there from the time the town was founded until 
his departure for England. The only house he ever 
owned in America was there, and the spot on which 
it stood can still be pointed out. He always spoke of 
the place with great aflfection ; and yet while he lived 
there he had no end of worry and trouble with insub- 
ordinate officers, mutinous soldiers, Spanish spies, un- 
just critics, and all sorts of cranky and mean people. 
Charles Wesley, the famous younger brother of the still 



8-i 



Georgia History Stories. 



more famous John Wesley, also lived at Frederica. 
The great live-oak under which he preached his first 
sermon is still standing in its green old age, and is 
pointed out to visitors as an object of sacred interest.* 
After the Spanish Colonial War was over, Fred- 
erica declined rapidly, 
because there was no 
longer any reason for 
its existence. During 
the Revolutionary War, 
what remained of it 
was almost completely 
destroyed by the Brit- 
ish army. Afterwards, 
mighty and patriotic ef- 
forts w^ere made to re- 
vive it and to restore it 

to its old glory, but all 

Wesley Oak at Frederica. in vain. It had finished 

its mission and must pass away. By the year 1820 it was 
entirely deserted. In recent years three or four modern 

* The short life of this island town was full of tragedies and comi- 
tragedies, but we have not space to relate them here. You may find a 
full and interesting account of them in Bishop Stevens's and C. C. Jones's 
big and good histories of Georgia. The extremely important part that the 
town played in the Spanish Colonial War and why historians call it "The 
Thermopylae of Georgia," you will soon learn in another chapter of this 
book. 




Fredenca. 



85 



houses have been erected on the ground where the town 
stood, but Frederica itself is no more. Like Ebenezer, 
it is one of the dead towns of Georgia. 

A fragment of the old fort with one of its iron 
cannon still stands by the water's edge f and out in the 




Ruins of the Old Fort at Frederica. 



woods near by, the arched and castellated front of the 
barracks building rises "grand, gloomy, and peculiar," 
among the green trees — and a handsome piece of archi- 
tecture it is, too, in its gray and neglected old age. 

* Since these lines were written the Colonial Dames of Georgia have 
had the old fort restored, as nearly as practicable, as it stood in 1735. The 
unveiling of the tablet took place April 11, 1904. 



86 Georgia History Stories. 

Still further back in the woods is the colonial grave- 
yard, where, under moss-covered trees centuries old, 
good people of the vanished town have been sweetly 
sleeping for one hundred and sixty years. That is all 
that is left of Frederica. ''Sic transit gloria mundi!" 



CHAPTER VII. 
THE SPANISH WAR. 

I. PREPARATIONS FOR THE WAR. 

One day in the latter part of the year 1736, a Span- 
ish officer, one Captain Don Antonio Arredondo, came 
from St. Augustine to Frederica with this message for 
Oglethorpe : "The King of Spain demands that the 
English evacuate all towns and forts south of St. 
Helena Sound as being located on the dominions of 
Spain !" Oglethorpe replied, "We refuse to evacuate 
these towns and forts, for they belong to the King of 
England and not to the King of Spain 1" Having re- 
ceived this answer the messenger returned to St. Augus- 
tine. 

Soon after this, Oglethorpe was informed that a 
large fleet of ships and a big army had been sent by 
the Spanish Government from Havana to St. Augus- 
tine. What could this mean but preparation for the 
invasion of Georgia? Oglethorpe saw the danger and 
acted with his usual promptness and vigor. He at once 
got aboard a ship and sailed for England, where he 
laid the whole situation before the king. The king 
and parliament made him general of all the forces in 

87 



88 Georgia History Stories. 

South Carolina and Georgia, with orders to protect 
these provinces from the Spaniards "to the last ex- 
tremity." They also furnished him with a splendid 
regiment of English soldiers to aid in the defense and 
sent them over on a vessel to Frederica. Having ac- 
complished this much, Oglethorpe got aboard his ship 
and hastened back to Georgia. On reaching Savannah 
he found that the Spaniards had been up to mischief 
while he was gone. They had sent emissaries, or se- 
cret agents, to all the tribes of the Creek Indians to 
try to turn them against the English, and to induce 
them by bribes and fair promises to join the side of 
Spain. The Indians at this time really had some 
just ground of complaint against the English, on ac- 
count of the bad way in which they had been treated 
by dishonest English traders. The Spaniards made the 
most of this grievance and caused the Indians to take a 
greatly exaggerated view of it. It looked as if they 
might succeed in winning nearly the whole Creek 
Nation over to their side, which would have been ruin- 
ous to Georgia. 

Chiefs of several of the tribes, stanch friends of 
Oglethorpe, came to Savannah to tell him of these 
things and to warn him of the danger. They also told 
him that during the coming summer the chiefs of all 



The Spanish War. 89 

the tribes of the Creeks and of several other Indian 
nations would assemble in their yearly council at 
Coweta Town on the Chattahoochee River; and they 
urged him to attend this meeting, so that he might con- 
fer with the chiefs and fix their loyalty to him. Ogle- 
thorpe determined so to do, though it would be a most 
arduous and perilous expedition ; but when duty called, 
Oglethorpe was always indifferent to hardship and reck- 
less of danger. He sent word to the chiefs of the vari- 
ous tribes that he would meet them in the big council 
at Coweta Town. 

Coweta Town was situated on the west side of the 
Chattahoochee River a few miles below the present 
city of Columbus, and on the spot where now stands 
the little village of Fort Mitchell, Alabama. It was, of 
course, an Indian town, and few if any white men had 
ever seen the place. It was two hundred and fifty miles 
in a bee line from Savannah, but by the zigzag route 
that Oglethorpe would have to pursue it was four hun- 
dred miles. 

Oglethorpe's party consisted of three white attend- 
ants, two white interpreters, and three Indian guides. 
They were mounted on horses, and there were several 
pack horses besides to carry their baggage. With this 
little retinue Oglethorpe, starting from Savannah, 



90 Georgia History Stories. 

plunged into the wilderness, with which nearly the 
whole state of Georgia was then covered. Over 
swamps, through tangled thickets, along ravines, past 
rivers that had to be crossed on rafts or by swimming, 
he pushed his way to the westward. At night he slept 
on the ground by the watch-fires, giving up to his at- 
tendants the two little tents that were brought on the 
pack horses. He was guided through the wilderness 
by the "blazed trees" of traders or by the narrow In- 
dian trails that he struck now and then, or frequently 
by nothing but his pocket compass. For over two hun- 
dred miles he journeyed without meeting a human be- 
ing, for Georgia was very thinly settled by Indians; 
their towns and villages were few and far between. 

When forty miles from Coweta Town, he was met 
by a number of Indian chiefs who had come to es- 
cort him and bring him supplies of provisions. He 
crossed the Chattahoochee River in a canoe at the point 
where the city of Columbus now stands. The exact 
place on the river bank from which he embarked on 
the Georgia side is still pointed out and has been 
marked with a suitable stone and inscription by the 
Oglethorpe Chapter of the Daughters of the American 
Revolution. Proceeding a few miles further to the 
southwest, he reached Coweta Town, where the chiefs 



The Spanish War. 91 

were holding their big council. The Indians were over- 
joyed to see him, for he held a very deep place in their 
affections. 

For days he listened patiently to their long, tire- 
some "talks," as they called their public speeches. At 
night he witnessed their wild, satyr-like dances in the 
lurid glare of the big bonfires. He was lulled to sleep 
by their weird incantations and the dreary beating of 
the "torn tom." He assured them that their grievances 
against the dishonest traders should be adjusted and 
that they should be cheated no more. He convinced 
them that the English were still their best friends. He 
easily induced them to make a solemn promise that they 
would continue to stand by him and that they would 
aid the English in any trouble that might arise between 
them and the Spaniards. No other white man that ever 
came to America, not even the great William Penn him- 
self, had such a powerful and wholesome influence over 
the Indians as did James Oglethorpe ! 

Having fully accomplished his purpose in coming 
to Coweta Town, Oglethorpe turned his face eastward 
and again plunged into the great wilderness. His return 
trip was even more toilsome than his coming, for the 
weather was bad and men and horses were jaded. He 
reached Augusta on September 7th, 1739, and for three 



92 Georgia History Stories. 

weeks he was prostrated by fever brought on by fatigue 
and exposure. In this wild and wonderful journey he 
had taken his life in his hands. Aside from other perils, 
he was in daily danger of assassination by some treach- 
erous Indian ; for there was not a red man in all the 
Creek Nation that did not know he would receive a 
princely reward from the Spaniards for James Ogle- 
thorpe's scalp. 

As soon as he had recovered from the fever, he went 
to Charleston to see what aid South Carolina would 
extend in case of a struggle with Spain. He had some 
trouble with the authorities of that selfish colony ; but 
at last they made him fair promises, which they never 
kept. He had now done everything in his power to get 
ready for the threatened conflict with Spain ; and, as it 
turned out, that conflict was very near at hand. 

II. SIEGE OF ST. AUGUSTINE. 

About the middle of November, 1739, a party of 
Spaniards landed on Amelia Island during the night and 
concealed themselves among the palmetto bushes. At 
daybreak next morning, they shot to death two unarmed 
Highland soldiers who had come out of the fort to gather 
fuel, and cut ofif their heads and mutilated their bodies 
horribly. Their purpose was to push on and capture 
the little fort; but Captain Francis Brooks, who com- 



The Spanish War. 93 

manded an English scout boat, hearing the firing that 
killed the Highlanders, came quickly up and drove the 
Spaniards away. The murder of these two Highland- 
ers was the first bloodshed of the Spanish War. 

When Oglethorpe, at Frederica, heard of this out- 
rage, he determined not to wait for the Spaniards to in- 
vade Georgia, but to take the initiative himself and in- 
vade Florida and capture St. Augustine. This was a 
bold step, but Oglethorpe felt that he must continue to 
play a bluff game with the Spaniards. He was greatly 
delayed in his preparations by the conduct of South 
Carolina. That colony at first refused to render any 
assistance, but at last consented and furnished a con- 
siderable contingent for the war, though not nearly so 
large a one as was rightly due from her. The Creek 
Indians did much better. Mindful of the promise they 
had made to Oglethorpe at Coweta Town, they readily 
furnished him with all the warriors he called for — 
nearly one thousand in number. By the last of May, 
1740, he had everything ready to start on the great 
invasion. His army numbered over two thousand men, 
nearly one thousand of whom were Indians, the rest 
being made up of the five hundred regulars that had 
been sent from England, of Scotch Highlanders, and of 
South Carolina and Georgia militia. He also had a 



94 



Georgia History Stories. 



considerable fleet of ships that was to operate against 
St. Augustine from the water side. The land army 
was transported in vessels to the mouth of the St. John's 
River, where it disembarked. 

Starting from the mouth of the St. John's, Ogle- 
thorpe swept southward, capturing with little trouble all 
Spanish forts and outposts up to the very gates of St. 




The Old Spanisii Gate at St. Augustine. 

Augustine; but there he was completely checkmated. St. 
Augustine was splendidly protected by walls, forts and 
entrenchments, well built and skilfully arranged. Its 
army of defense consisted of 1,400 veteran Spanish sol- 
diers under a very able commander. General Manuel de 
Monteano. On the ocean side it was so well guarded 
by Spanish warships that the English fleet could not 
approach near enough to render much assistance to the 



The Spanish War. 95 

land army. Oglethorpe was greatly astonished to find 
the city so strongly protected. He soon saw that he 
could not take it by storm, as he had fully expected 
to do. He must try to take it by siege and the "starv- 
ing out" plan. 

He completely surrounded the city with his army 
and his ships, so that no provisions or reinforcements 
could be brought in. For a while this plan worked ad- 
mirably, but it soon failed through the disobedience of 
one of Oglethorpe's officers. To the west several roads 
led from the city out into the country. On one of these 
roads, two miles from the town, was Fort Moosa, which 
Oglethorpe had taken from the Spaniards. He ap- 
pointed Colonel Palmer with a force of ninety-five 
Highlanders and forty Indians to guard these roads, 
saying to him, "Patrol the roads night and day. See 
that not a soul passes over them into the city. Make 
your headquarters at Fort Moosa, but don't stay there 
or anywhere else any two nights in succession; move 
constantly about from place to place, lest the Spaniards 
capture you by a surprise attack." For a while Colonel 
Palmer obeyed these orders strictly, but he soon grew 
careless. He spent three nights in succession in Fort 
Moosa. It was so much more comfortable there than 
lying out in the woods ! On the third night, June 24th, 



96 Georgia History Stories. 

the great iron gate of St. Augustine opened and out 
miarched a body of three hundred Spanish soldiers, 
picked men, the very flower of the army. Stealthily 
they crept near the fort and hid in the bushes. Just 
before day, when men are wont to sleep most soundly, 
they made the attack. The Highlanders were taken 
completely by surprise, but they fought like tigers. 
Although awakened from sound sleep by this terrific 
attack they were not panic stricken, but seized their 
broadswords and slashed the Spaniards right and left. 
Spanish blood flowed like water. Many of the High- 
landers, too, fell under Spanish bullets and bayonets. 
Among the first to fall was the disobedient but brave 
Colonel Palrner. Perhaps he sought death, feeling 
keenly that this disaster was all his fault. Twenty-two 
brave Highlanders were killed. The Indians fled panic- 
stricken in the early part of the fight. More than a 
hundred Spanish soldiers lay dead ; only a few of them 
were shot ; nearly all were killed by the terrible broad- 
swords of the Highlanders. But the Spaniards had 
gained a great victory. Colonel Palmer's command was 
utterly destroyed, Fort Moosa was recaptured, the roads 
were opened, and provisions came pouring into St. Au- 
gustine for the pent-up garrison ! 

Oglethorpe's starving-out plan had failed, but he 



The Spanish War. 97 

still held the city in siege, hoping that he might force 
a surrender with his cannon balls. For days and days, 
all day long, his cannon boomed and boomed away at 
St. Augustine, while, in reply, the Spanish cannon 
thundered forth; but the distance between the two was 
too great, the shots mostly fell short, and with all the 
booming not much damage was done on either side. 
Midsummer had now come. The heat of the tropical 

sun was terrible to Ogle- 
thorpe's poor soldiers in 
their open camps, unac- 
customed as they were to 
such a climate. Many of 
them sickened and died; 

and the rest had their 
St. Mark's Castle, St. Augustine. 

lives almost tormented 

out of them by the terrible heat, sand flies and mosqui- 
toes. The Indians, who can never stand a waiting fight, 
became restless, and deserted by hundreds. The South 
Carolina soldiers became mutinous and threatened to 
disband and go home. 

At last Oglethorpe, finding that with all his cannon- 
ading he could do no great hurt to the Spaniards, gave 
up the whole thing as a hopeless undertaking. So on 
the 20th day of July he ordered the siege to be raised. 




98 Georgia History Stories. 

He marched his weary and bedraggled Georgia soldiers 
back to Frederica, while the South Carohna contingent 
sailed for Charleston. The whole expedition had been 
a dismal failure. Poor Oglethorpe was most severely 
and unjustly criticized by all America and all England. 

III. BATTLE OF ST. SIMON's SOUND. 

Oglethorpe's unsuccessful attack on St. Augus- 
tine proved, after all, to be of great benefit to Georgia. 
The boldness of the attempt so frightened Spain that 
she deferred for many months her proposed invasion of 
Georgia and South Carolina. For nearly two years 
there was a lull in the war and almost a complete ces- 
sation of active hostilities. Oglethorpe spent the time 
preparing with great energy for the terrific storm that 
he knew would, sooner or later, burst upon him. He 
greatly strengthened the defences around Frederica ; he 
built a new fort at the other end of St. Simon's Island, 
nine miles from Frederica ; he withdrew the forces from 
St. George's Island, Amelia Island, and Fort St. An- 
drew and used them to strengthen the garrison at Fort 
William ; he reinforced his army as far as possible and 
drilled the soldiers constantly. Scarcely were these 
preparations completed before the storm burst upon 
him. 

In May, 1742, a Spanish armada consisting of fifty- 



The Spanish War. 99 

four warships and seven thousand soldiers left Havana 
for St. Augustine. Its avowed purpose was to sweep 
up the Atlantic coast and wipe the English colonies out 
of Georgia and South Carolina and add those provinces 
to the possessiciis of Spain. When Oglethorpe re- 
ceived this alarming news he dispatched a messenger 
to Charleston to call on South Carolina to send to him 
at once her quota of soldiers and ships for the com- 
mon defence, but much to Oglethorpe's chagrin South 
Carolina refused to give any assistance. So the brave 
Oglethorpe, with his little army of less than a thou- 
sand mew, whites and Indians, and only three warships, 
was left to meet alone the dreadful war storm that was 
gathering to the south. But his heroic spirit rose with 
the danger, and his noble language was, "We are re- 
solved not to suffer defeat ; we will rather die like 
Leonidas and his Spartans, if we can but protect 
Georgia and Carolina and the rest of the Americans 
from desolation !" 

On the 21st of June, a Spanish fleet of fourteen 
warships appeared off the south end of Cumberland 
Island and tried to pass between the island and the 
mainland, but was driven off by a cannonading from 
Fort William, aided by one of Oglethorpe's warships 
that was patrolling in the sound. Six days later, on the 



100 



Georgia History Stories. 



28th day of June, the same fleet, reinforced to thirty- 
six warships and carrying five thousand soldiers, hav- 
ing sailed up along the east side of Cumberland and 
Jekyl, made its appearance just outside St. Simon's 

Sound, as the strip of 
water between Jekyl and 



St. Simon's is called. 
There for several days 
it rode back and forth, 
waiting for a favorable 
wind to take it through 
the sound and up the 
narrow river to Fred- 



erica. 

All was now energy 
and activity on St. Si- 
mon's, preparing for the 
life-and-death struggle 
that was so near at hand. Oglethorpe and his little 
band of eight hundred must defend Frederica to the 
last gasp against this overwhelming Spanish armada; 
for if the enemy should succeed in taking this strong- 
hold, they could sweep almost without resistance over 
the whole of Georgia and South Carolina. Frederica 
being lost, all would be lost. The situation was not 




ST.SIMONS ISLAND 



SCALE OF MILES 



BORMAY i CO., N,Y. 



The Spanish War. 101 

unlike Leonidas and his Spartans facing Xerxes and 
his mighty host at the Pass of Thermopylae. Ogle- 
thorpe drew his soldiers up on parade ground and made 
them an inspiring speech that fired their hearts with 
heroism. 

The first resistance was to be made down at Fort 
St. Simon's, on the south end of the island. The fort 
stood at the water's edge overlooking the sound, just 
where a great lighthouse stands at this day. At this 
point Oglethorpe concentrated nearly all of his forces. 
Besides the fort, he had in the sound three battleships 
and eight small sloops moored close against the shore, 
each sloop having on board a little cannon and one 
man to fire it. 

On July 5th, a favorable wind sprang up, and at 
the same time the high spring tide came in and raised 
the waters in the sound and in the river ; so the Span- 
ish ships spread their sails and, forming in line of 
battle, started through the sound. It was a grand and 
appalling spectacle ! Just as they turned northward to 
go up the narrow river, the fort, the three English bat- 
tleships, and all the little sloops opened fire on them. 
A terrific naval battle ensued. It lasted three hours, 
during which more than two thousand cannon shots 
were fired. One of the English battleships was sunk. 



102 Georgia History Stories. 

and several of the Spanish vessels were badly dam- 
aged. Eighteen Spaniards were killed and many were 
wounded, and the English loss also was considerable. 
It was an heroic fight on the part of the English, but 
they were too greatly outnumbered. In spite of their 
utmost efforts the Spanish ships ran past them, and, 
turning northward, sailed up the river to within four 
miles of Frederica, where they cast anchor at Gas- 
coigne's Bluff, very near where the big sawmills of the 
Hilton and Dodge Lumber Company now stand. The 
river above this point was so narrow that the Spanish 
commander was afraid to risk his ships under fire of 
Fort Frederica, until he could arrange to have his land 
army cooperate with him against the place ; so he dis- 
embarked his soldiers on Gascoigne's Bluff. 

IV. BLOODY MARSH. 

The situation was now more desperate than ever. 
Night had come on, but for the almost exhausted sol- 
diers of Oglethorpe there must be neither rest nor sleep. 
Oglethorpe knew that to prevent being cut off from 
his retreat to Frederica, he must move with utmost 
promptness and celerity. He ordered his two remain- 
ing battleships to sail at once for Charleston ; for they 
could be of no further service here, and if they re- 
mained they would certainly be captured by the enemy. 



The Spanish War. 103 

He spiked the guns in the fort, destroyed the supplies, 
and blew up the magazine. Then he set fire to the 
eight sloops moored by the shore ; and by the lurid 
conflagration that they made, he started a little after 
midnight on his retreat to Frederica, nine miles away, 
and reached the place just at daybreak. The fight 
down at Fort St. Simon's had been fierce, but well he 
knew that the great life-and-death struggle was yet to 
come! 

On the morning of the 6th, the Spanish commander, 
finding that the English had abandoned Fort St. 
Simon's, marched his forces from Gascoigne's Bluff 
three miles across the country down to the fort, so 
that he might have the protection of its walls from any 
attack the English might make. From this point he 
prepared to march against Frederica. 

On the morning of the 7th, the Spanish advance guard, 
consisting of four hundred picked men, started towards 
Frederica. When within two miles of the place, they 
came upon a company of thirty mounted rangers whom 
Oglethorpe had sent out as a picket, and with a sin- 
gle volley drove them back, killing one of their num- 
ber. Oglethorpe, hearing the firing, sprang upon his 
horse, and at the head of the Highlanders, Indians, and 
three companies of British regulars, all of whom hap- 



104 Georgia History Stories. 

pened to be under arms at the time, dashed through 
the woods and drove the enemy back, with much 
slaughter, to an open plain, or savannah, seven miles 
from Frederica. He posted the forces with him in the 
thick wood along the edge of the savannah, and put 
them in charge of the Highland captains, Sutherland 
and Mackay, while he himself galloped back to Fred- 
erica to get the rest of the troops and bring them up. 
While he was gone, the Spaniards, largely rein- 
forced, advanced across the savannah, and with loud 
huzzahs charged on the forces in the edge of the woods. 
Two companies of British regulars, becoming panic- 
stricken, gave way before the charge and fled in wild 
confusion. The Spaniards, following hot on their 
heels, pursued them to within two miles of Frederica, 
and then turning, started back, thinking all the time 
that they had driven back the entire command. In 
the mean time, the soldiers who had remained at their 
post were ordered by Captains Sutherland and Mackay 
to conceal themselves behind the palmetto bushes in the 
woods, for they knew that the Spaniards would soon 
be coming back. So the fatal ambush was prepared. 
Behind every palmetto bush on both sides of the road 
and far back into the woods an English soldier lay con- 
cealed with his gun ready, still as death. 



The Spanish War. 105 

In a little while, sure enough, the Spaniards were 
seen coming down the road with martial tread and 
heads erect, proud of their victory, and having not 
the least suspicion of the death trap into which they 
were about to march. When near the edge of the 
woods they halted, stacked their guns in the road, and 
sat down on the ground to rest and to eat the break- 
fast that they carried in their haversacks. But scarcely 
were they seated when Captain Mackay gave to his 
men the signal agreed upon, by raising his Highland 
cap on the point of his uplifted sword ; and then ''bang ! 
bang! bang!" from behind the palmetto bushes a deadly 
fire was poured into the poor astounded Spaniards. 
Quickly they sprang to their guns, but before they could 
form in line of battle the English charged through the 
rustling palmettoes right down upon them. Some of 
their officers bravely tried to make them take a stand, 
but all in vain. They broke and ran in a perfect 
stampede, and were charged by the English out of the 
woods and across the savannah as a flock of sheep are 
chased by a pack of wolves. 

On the other side of the Savannah was an open 
salt marsh extending to the sea. The terror-stricken 
Spaniards, seeing that their way by the road was cut 
off by the EngHsh, tried to make their escape by rush- 



106 Georgia History Stories. 

ing straight across this marsh to the shcUcr of the sand 
dunes on the other side ; Imt they mired np in the marsh 
so that they conld scarcely move, and were shot down 
there by scores, their bodies falhng into the long sea 
grass and their life's blood staining with red the black 
swamp ooze. This awful place of slaughter is known 
to this day as ''Bloody Marsh," and is pointed out to 
visitors as the most tragic spot on this tragic island. 
The forests have been mostly cleared away from this 
vicinity, but the open savannah, the marsh, and the white 
sand dunes beyond appear to-day precisely as they did 
when the battle was fought one hundred and sixty 
years ago. 

Over two hundred Spaniards were killed in that 
day's fight, and many more w^re taken prisoners. Very 
few got back to the Spanish lines to tell the dreadful 
tale. In the battle no soldier on the English side be- 
haved more heroically than did our young Indian friend, 
Toonahowi. He had succeeded Tonio-chi-chi as chief 
of the Yamacraws, and had joined Oglethorpe's army 
at the head of a hundred Creek warriors. In the thick- 
est of the fray just described he was charging with up- 
lifted tomahawk on a Spanish captain, when the cap- 
tain, with a pistol ball, broke his right arm. Down 
dropped arm and tomahawk ; but quick as a flash he 



The Spanish War. 107 

drew his pistol with his left hand and shot the captain 
through the brain, killing him instantly. Two years 
later this young Indian chief was killed in a skirmish 
with the Spaniards down in Florida, but not until he 
had, by many feats of arms and deeds of valor, fulfilled 
the dear wish of old Tomo-chi-chi's heart, that Toona- 
howi should "be big warrior!" 

General Monteano, commander of the Spaniards, was 
greatly alarmed at this terrible defeat of his advance 
guard, and deemed it necessary to exercise extreme 
caution in his further movements ; he therefore post- 
poned until the next day marching against Frederica 
with his main body. That night Oglethorpe, by prac- 
ticing a most shrewd and cunning stratagem, which 
we have not space to relate here, but a full and 
very interesting account of which you may. find 
in C. C. Jones's history, made the Spaniards believe 
that he had a large and powerful fleet at Frederica and 
vicinity. Brave General Monteano was anxious to go 
ahead and fight it out anyhow ; but his soldiers were 
panic-stricken, and several of his generals, especially 
the one commanding the Cuban contingent, which com- 
posed more than half of his army, refused tO' act with 
him. So on the 8th day of July, the great Spanish 
host — ships, soldiers, and all — sailed away for St. Angus- 



108 Georgia History Stories. 

tine ; and never again did Spain attempt the invasion 
of Georgia. The war was continued in a feeble, half- 
hearted sort of way for two years longer, when it was 
brought to a close by a final treaty of peace between 
Spain and England. 

Thus, with a little band of only eight hundred men 
and three ships, Oglethorpe had driven ofif a Spanish 
armada of thirty-six warships and an army of five 
thousand men and had saved Georgia and South Caro- 
lina, and perhaps the whole of English America, from 
Spanish conquest ! There is no more brilliant event in 
American history. The memory of it should ever be 
cherished among the proudest annals of our beloved 
State of Georgia! 



CHAPTER VIII. 

**NON SIBI SED ALUS." 

On the 2;)d of July, 1743, James Oglethorpe left 
Georgia never to return. As he was tossed on the 
waves of the Atlantic on his way back to his old home 
in England, what must have l)een his thoughts and 
feelings about the work in Georgia to which he had 
given eleven of the best years of his life? They had 
been years full of trial and tribulation to him. Of 
some of the hardships and dangers that he had to en- 
dure, you have learned in the foregoing pages ; but 
these were the least of his troubles. In carrying ont 
this great enterprise he had to deal with many very 
mean people. He was constantly harassed (if so 
strong and firm a mind as his would allow itself 
to be harassed) by the dishonesty and treachery, the 
''envy, hatred, malice and all uncharitableness" of per- 
sons who should have lent him a helping hand. Yet in 
coming to America to undertake this hard and trying 
work, Oglethorpe had made many sacrifices ; for he 
gave up a luxurious home, the delights of literature, 
the pleasures of refined society, and a splendid public 
career that was just opening to him in England, and 

109 



110 Georgia History Stories. 

from it all he had absolutely nothing, in a worldly 
sense, to gain for himself. A' on sibi scd aliis! 

Tomo-chi-chi, that grand old savage, showed a 
spirit as unselfish and noble as Oglethorpe's. By the 
practice of a little business cunning he might have 
obtained for himself rich rewards from the English for 
the great services that he rendered to them, but not 
one cent did he ever ask or receive. Even the presents 
that were made to him while he was in England, he 
gave away with a free hand to the poor people of his 
tribe on his return to America. He died at last in his 
humble wigwam, one of the poorest of men. In all that 
he did, he was governed by no other motive than to 
promote the best interests of his people. American his- 
tory furnishes no finer illustration of pure and lofty 
patriotism. Non sibi sed aliis! 

The Trustees of Georgia served without pay or re- 
ward of any kind. The work required much of their 
time and was full of grave responsibility. They looked 
after the affairs of the colony with as much care and 
diligence as if Georgia had been their private property 
and was being run as a money-making enterprise ; and 
yet they well knew that, in a selfish sense, there was 
absolutely nothing in it, neither fame nor fortune, for 
themselves. Non sibi sed aliis! 



''Non Sihi Sed Aliis." Ill 

Of all the American colonies, Georgia was certainly 
the one established on the noblest principles ; and yet for 
a long time Georgia did not prosper. At the time of 
Oglethorpe's leaving, the whole enterprise seemed lit- 
tle better than a failure. Boundless enthusiasm, de- 
voted self-sacrifice, strenuous work, and many hun- 
dreds of thousands of dollars had been expended on 
the undertaking; and yet after ten years there were less 
than three thousand people in the colony, and most of 
these were in a deplorable condition. Hundreds of peo- 
ple who had settled here moved away in disgust to the 
Carolinas and other more prosperous provinces. 

The reason generally given for this discouraging 
state of afifairs is the obstinacy of Oglethorpe and the 
Trustees in not allowing negro slavery and the rum 
trade in Georgia. And yet Oglethorpe was neither an 
abolitionist nor a teetotaler. He owned slaves himself 
on a place in South Carolina and he was fond of a glass 
of wine at dinner, and you have seen how liberally he 
dispensed rum punch to the guests at his big barbecue 
in South Carolina. His reason for prohibiting slavery in 
Georgia was (to use his own language somewhat para- 
phrased) : ''Owing to its proximity to the hostile and 
treacherous Spaniards, Georgia should be a sort of mili- 
tary colony ; every citizen should also be a soldier. The 



112 Georgia History Stories. 

people should live on small farms close together, so that, 
whenever need be, the men may quickly combine into an 
army. If slavery were introduced, rich men would buy 
up the lands, the State would be divided up into large 
plantations occupied by multitudes of negroes and only 
a few white men. The Spaniards would incite the 
negroes to rise in insurrection and murder the whites. 
South Carolina has already been much disturbed in 
this way; it would be very much worse for Georgia, 
lying so near Spanish Florida." His reason against 
rum was: "Indians are extremely fond of rum and, 
when they can get it, drink to great excess, bringing 
on madness, disease and death. For many years to 
come the welfare of Georgia will depend largely on 
the help and good behavior of the Indians, therefore 
rum should be kept away from them." So the prohibi- 
tion of slavery and rum in Georgia was not at all a 
matter of morality, but purely a matter of economics or 
pubHc policy. From this standpoint it was, under all 
the circumstances, an unwise prohibition, and worked 
greatly to the detriment of the colony. 

Another cause of the lack of prosperity was, no 
doubt, in the kind of people of whom the colony 
was largely composed. For, if the truth must be 
told, many of the emigrants who came to Georgia dur- 



''Non Sibi Sed Aliis:' 113 

ing Oglethorpe's rule were a sorry lot of folk — debt- 
ors, paupers, beggars, and all sorts of folk who had not 
been able to take care of themselves at home. Ogle- 
thorpe has been much blamed for peopling Georgia 
with such slipshod, knock-kneed human beings ; but 
really it redounds to his glory that he was willing to 
extend a helping hand to those poor creatures whom no 
one else would help, and to give them one more chance 
in the world. True, as might have been expected, these 
persons made poor use of the opportunity, but Ogle- 
thorpe was not to blame for that. There were, of 
course, many good settlers, such, for instance, as the 
Salzburgers, who were an earnest, sturdy, industrious 
folk ; but they seem to have lacked spirit, enterprise, and 
ambition. Of all the early emigrants to Georgia, those 
who seem to have been made of that heroic stuff neces- 
sary to the right upbuilding of a new country were 
the doughty Highlanders who settled on the Altamaha 
River, and, alas! they were wiped out of existence in 
the Spanish war where they so bravely threw them- 
selves "in the imminent and deadty breach," non sibi 
sed aliis! 

But Oglethorpe's work in Georgia was far from 
being the failure that it seemed. He had laid deep the 
foundation of splendid success. He had gained the 



114 Georgia History Stories. 

lasting good-will of the Indians. He had saved 
Georgia, and Carolina, too, from Spanish conquest. 
In the face of dangers and obstacles that might have 
appalled the stoutest heart, he had planted a colony that 
was destined to grow into the great Empire State of the 
South ! 

In 1751 the Trustees of Georgia surrendered their 
charter to the king. For twenty years they had man- 
aged the afifairs of the colony with the greatest faith- 
fulness and zeal, though, it must be confessed, with but 
little wisdom. For their pains and unselfish devotion 
they received nothing but harsh criticism from the pub- 
lic and base ingratitude from those whom they had tried 
so hard to help. No doubt they were glad to be free 
from the thankless task. Georgia was at once changed 
into a Royal Province. Under the new regime the re- 
strictions on slavery and the rum trade were removed, 
and a number of unwise regulations of the Trustees 
were abolished or changed. Many energetic, enterpris- 
ing people, some of them wealthy and influential, moved 
into the colony, and Georgia forged rapidly forward. 
By the year 1766, it had ten thousand white inhabitants 
and eight thousand negro slaves. It had at last grown 
to be a prosperous and flourishing colony. 

In 174-4, about a year after his return to England, 



'Non Sibi Sed Aliis/ 



115 




Oglethorpe at the Age of Ninety-two. 



116 Georgia History Stories. 

Oglethorpe at length was married, aged fifty-five years. 
His bride was Miss Elizabeth Wright, aged thirty-five 
years. As he was quite an old bachelor and she was 
somewhat of an old maid, it is to be presumed they 
lived happily together. She was very wealthy, and her 
money came in nicely for him, since his own fortune had 
been much depleted from his generosity to the Georgia 
colony. Soon after his marriage he was made Major- 
General in the British army and took an active part 
in the famous campaign against the Pretender. Sub- 
sequently he was promoted to the higher rank of Lieu- 
tenant-General, and later still to that of full General, or 
Commander-in-Chief. It is often told that at the be- 
ginning of the Revolutionary War, when he was eighty- 
six years old, he was offered but refused the command 
of the army that was to fight against the Americans ; 
but there is no truth in this absurd story. 

After his retirement from the army, he was re-elected 
to Parliament, where he served with distinction for 
many years. Like his friend Tomo-chi-chi, he lived to 
be a very old man ; and, like Tomo-chi-chi, too, to the 
very last his figure was erect, his step light and spry, 
his eye undimmed, and his faculties unimpaired. His 
youth had been stormy, his middle life tempestuous, but 
his long old age was entirely serene. He lived in great 



''Non Sibi Sect Aliis." 117 

ease and luxury at his rich wife's beautiful country 
home, but he paid frequent visits to London, where he 
entered with great heartiness into the literary and social 
pleasures of the city. One night he would be at the 
Authors' Club enjoying the brilliant company of such 
men as Dr. Johnson, Goldsmith, Burke, Burton, and 
other great literary lights; and the next night he would 
be at a court ball, dancing with the belles of the sea- 
son. Until he was ninety years old, he continued to 
enjoy such pastimes and gayeties with unabated zest. 
In his marvelous old age he was the most striking fig- 
ure and the most honored man in all England, and 
wherever he went he was the "observed of all observ- 
ers." On the 1st of July, 1785, he died at Cranham 
Hall, Essex, aged ninety-six years. 

Georgia has a county and a town named for Ogle- 
thorpe, but, strange to say, the State has never erected 
a monument to his memory. The Colonial Dames and 
the Daughters of the American Revolution of Georgia 
are now trying to raise funds by popular subscription 
for this purpose. The movement should have the hearty 
sympathy and help of all Georgians and should be 
aided by a liberal appropriation from the State Legisla- 
ture. There has never lived a man who more richly 
deserved such an honor at the hands of the Georgia 



IIB Georgia History Stories. 

people. To the many superb patriotic monuments that 
already adorn the beautiful city of Savannah, let one, 
more splendid than any of the others, be added to the 
memory of James Oglethorpe ; and let there be carved 
on it as a suitable epitaph the noble phrase, NON SIBI 
SED ALUS! 



PART II. 



REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD 

CHAPTER IX. 

THE STAMP ACT IN GEORGIA. 

In the year 1765 the EngHsh ParHament passed the 
celebrated law known as the Stamp Act. This law re- 
quired the American colonists to write all their legal' 
documents, such as promissory notes, deeds, contracts, 








English Stamps for America * 

bonds, leases, mortgages, etcetera, on "stamped paper," 
which they had to buy from the English Government, 
and which was very costly. It required them also to 
put expensive government stamps on all newspapers, 

*From Green's "A Short History of the English People." Reproduced 
by permission of Harper and Brothers. 

119 



120 Georgia History Stories. 

pamphlets and almanacs published in America. This 
was a heavy tax on the Americans, who were poor and 
ill able to bear it ; but England declared it necessary in 
order to help pay the expenses of the French and Indian 
War, which had been fought for the benefit of the col- 
onies. The passage of the law made the Americans very 
indignant, because, as they asserted, England had no 
right to tax them without their own consent. In Vir- 
ginia the great orator, Patrick Henry, made against the 
Act a bold and eloquent speech that fired the hearts of 
the people. James Otis of Massachusetts and other 
able and patriotic men also spoke and wrote against 
it. Soon the people throughout the whole country were 
aroused, and they determined not to permit the outrage. 
All of the colonies were invited to send delegates to a 
convention, or congress, to be held in New York City 
for the purpose of protesting against the Stamp Act. 

The Governor of Georgia at that time was James 
Wright. He was born and reared in South Carolina 
and belonged to a very fine family. He was appointed 
Governor of Georgia by George II, King of England, 
in 1760. He was a brave, able and honorable man, but 
he did not sympathize with the Americans in their stand 
against the Stamp Act. He believed that England had 
a right to tax the Americans, and that they ought to 



The Stamp Act in Georgia. 121 

submit to it without a murmur ; so he did everything in 
his power to keep the people of Georgia from taking 
part in the movement against the Act. Through his 
influence Georgia was prevented from sending any dele- 
gates to the congress in New York. 

So Georgia was not represented in the famous First 
Colonial Congress, as it was called, that met in New 
York in October, 1765. The congress drew up a re- 
spectful petition and sent it by special messenger across 
the ocean to the King and Parliament of England, pro- 
testing that England had no right to tax the colonies 
without their own consent, and begging that the Stamp 
Act be repealed ; but the King and Parliament were ob- 
stinate and headstrong, and were determined to enforce 
the Act. Ships laden with boxes containing the odious 
"stamped paper," and accompanied by officers ap- 
pointed to sell the paper to the colonists, sailed from 
England for all the principal American ports. When 
they arrived in America, both stamps and stamp officers 
received rough treatment at the hands of the angry 
people in nearly all of the colonies, as you may learn 
from United States history. What we want to learn 
now is exactly what the people of Georgia did about it. 

In spite of Governor Wright's earnest efforts to get 
the people of Georgia to submit quietly to the Stamp Act, 



122 Georgia History Stories. 

they were determined to rebel against it. They had good 
reason to rebel ; for besides the wrong principle of the 
Act itself, Georgia was at that time the poorest of all 
the colonies, and the one least able to bear this oppres- 
sive tax. In all parts of the colony the people banded 




King George III. 

themselves together in societies called "Sons of Lib- 
erty," and took a solemn pledge not to allow the stamps 
to be sold or used in Georgia. Young men formed 
themselves into military companies called "Liberty 
Boys," and vowed that they would capture and destroy 
the stamps as soon as they reached Savannah, and 



The Stamp Act in Georgia, 



123 



would compel the stamp officer to leave the colony or 
else would bind him hand and foot and throw him into 
the river and drown him. 

The 26th of October was the anniversary of King- 
George Ill's accession to the throne of England; and 




Colonists Burning the Stamp Seller in Effigy. 

Governor Wright, wishing to honor his royal master, 
called on the people to assemble in Savannah to cele- 
brate the occasion. Big crowds came ; but most of 
them, instead of honoring King George, spent the day 
in listening to speeches against him and his Parliament 
and their wicked Stamp Act. In the evening the crowd 
made images, or effigies, of Governor Wright and other 



124 Georgia History Stories. 

prominent men who favored the Stamp Act, and put- 
ting them on high poles, paraded the streets with them, 
accompanied by jeers and insults, ending at last late at 
night by burning the effigies on the public square amid 
great cheering and hurrahing. 

Governor Wright thought the people were very 
wrong to act this way and tried by talks and speeches 
and writings to get them to behave themselves, but 
they heeded him not. In all parts of the colony they 
continued to hold public meetings to denounce the King 
and Parliament and the Stamp Act. 

It was expected that the ship bearing the stamps 
would reach Savannah about the 1st of November, 
but for some reason it was delayed. At last, on 
the 5th of December, an English vessel called 
The Speedzvell was seen sailing up the river. It 
was laden with boxes containing the much-talked- 
of "stamped paper," but this fact was known only 
to Governor Wright and a few of his council. The 
Governor had the vessel stopped several miles down the 
river until late in the night, when it was brought up to 
the landing, and the boxes of ''stamped paper" were 
secretly transferred to a strong warehouse, known as 
Fort Halifax, where they were locked up and put under 
guard. All this was done to keep the Liberty Boys 



The Stamp Act in Georgia. 125 

from destroying the stamps, which they certainly would 
have done if they could have got their hands on them. 

The stamp officer for Georgia, a Mr. Angus, did 
not come over on The Speedzvell, but on a vessel that 
was to arrive later. This vessel reached Savannah on 
the 3d of January. Governor Wright knew that the 
Liberty Boys were on the lookout for the stamp officer 
and, if they should get their hands on him, would han- 
dle him very roughly; so he was taken off the ship away 
down at Tybee Island and put in a small boat and 
brought to the landing and then smuggled through the 
streets to the Governor's mansion, where he was strictly 
guarded. 

Everything now seemed ready for the sale of the 
stamps to begin ; but the people wxre determined that 
the stamps should not be sold or used, and this they let 
Governor Wright and Mr. Angus know very plainly. 
However, they made one exception. There were at 
this time sixty merchant ships at Savannah, all loaded 
and ready to sail ; but before a ship is allowed to leave 
a port it must have what is called "a clearance certifi- 
cate," and the Stamp Act required that all "clearance 
certificates" should be written on "stamped paper." It 
was very necessary that these ships should sail away 
with their merchandise, or else the commerce of Savan- 



126 Georgia History Stories. 

nah and the whole colony would be utterly ruined. So 
the Sons of Liberty held a meeting and agreed to allow 
stamps to be bought and used for the clearance of these 
ships, but not for any other purpose ; and these were 
the only *'Stamp-Act" stamps ever used in Georgia. 

The people grew more and more excited. Every 
night they gathered in noisy, angry crowds on the 
streets of Savannah. They threatened the life of the 
Governor and of Mr. Angus. The Governor's mansion 
had to be guarded day and night by forty British 
Rangers. For four days and nights in succession Gov- 
ernor Wright did not take off his clothes, not even his 
boots, expecting every moment to be attacked. Mr. 
Angus did not dare walk out on the streets or even put 
his head out of the door. At last he decided that it 
would be best for him to leave the city, so he was 
smuggled out to the country home of one of the Gov- 
ernor's friends. One day a great crowd of Liberty 
Boys began gathering on the streets for the purpose of 
taking the "stamped papers" from Fort Halifax and 
destroying them ; but Governor Wright, hearing of it, 
took a company of fifty Rangers and marched to the 
fort, and loading the stamps on a cart drawn by two 
stout horses, carried them to the guard house and locked 
them up behind its iron doors and iron-barred windows. 



The Stamp Act in Georgia. 127 

Towards the end of January a body of six hundred 
men from nearly all parts of the colony assembled in 
the woods near Savannah and sent word to Governor 
Wright that if he did not surrender the stamps to 
them they would kill him and take them by force. The 
Governor, always energetic and prompt, instead of 
yielding to their threats, hurried the stamps down the 
river to a fort on Cockspur Island, where they were 
guarded by a garrison of British Rangers ; but, fearing 
that they might not be safe even there, a few days later 
he had them placed on the English ship The SpeedzveU, 
the same vessel that had brought them over from Eng- 
land, and which was then at anchor just inside the har- 
bor bar. There, at last, the precious stamps were safe 
from the terrible Liberty Boys ! 

A day or two after the removal of the stamps a 
body of nearly two hundred Liberty Boys from the 
crowd which was camped in the woods near Savannah, 
marched boldly into the city and took possession of the 
public square. The Governor quickly called the Rang- 
ers from Cockspur Island to defend the city, and a 
number of volunteers also joined him, so that he had 
nearly a hundred well-armed soldiers. It looked as if 
there would be a bloody battle in the very heart of the 
town; but the Liberty Boys, awed by the Governor's 



128 Georgia History Stories. 

bold front, soon dispersed and returned to their camp 
in the woods. 

You will notice that through all this trying time 
Governor Wright showed himself to be a firm, brave, 
wise man. Against great odds he protected the stamps 
and the stamp officer from violence, but at the same 
time he was very prudent in his dealings with the angry 
people. A single rash act on his part would have caused 
fighting and bloodshed. Through it all he had a 
number of strong friends and adherents to stand by 
him and help him ; for there were many people in 
Georgia who sincerely agreed with him that the col- 
onists ought to submit to the Stamp Act as obedient 
subjects of England, and that to rebel against it was 
treason. These persons were called Loyalists or Royal- 
ists, but afterwards they became known as Tories. 
Those that resisted the Act called themselves Patriots. 

In the spring of 1766 all of the trouble about the 
Stamp Act came to a sudden and happy end. Over in 
England Parliament had at last repealed the hated 
Act. This was done, not so much on account of the 
pleadings of the Americans, as through the influence 
of certain great Englishmen who thought that the Act 
was wrong, and who sympathized with the Americans. 
The greatest of these was William Pitt, afterwards Earl 



The Stamp Act iji Georgia. 129 

of Chatham. Bent with rheumatism, swathed in flan- 
nels, suffering acute pain, he hobbled into the Parlia- 
ment House on his crutches, and made on behalf of 
the Americans one of the greatest speeches ever deliv- 
ered. All Americans should ever love the great Eng- 
lishman, William Pitt, Earl 
of Chatham. After him, 
Chatham County, Georgia, 
is named. 

The news of the repeal 
of the Stamp Act was 
hailed with mighty rejoic- 
ing by all the colonies, and 
by none more than by the 
colony of Georgia. Every 
colony sent earnest and 
grateful thanks to the King 
and Parliament, with assur- 




W^illiam Pitt. 



ances of loyalty to the English Government. So for 
a while there was again peace and love between the col- 
onies and the mother country ! 

James Wright was Governor of Georgia for many 
years, and he was one of the ablest and best Governors 
that Georgia has ever had. He did a great deal for the 
good of the colony in its early days of poverty and hard 



130 Georgia History Stories. 

struggle. It is a pity he did not sympathize with the 
people in their righteous and noble struggle for inde- 
pendence ; but he really believed they were wrong, and 
he acted according to his convictions. Through many 
hard trials he was faithful to what he thought was his 
duty. He was an able, brave, honest man. We should 
honor his memory. 



CHAPTER X. 
THE CAPTURE OF SAVANNAH. 

I. ARRIVAL OF THE BRITISH FLEET. 

The good feeling between the colonies and the 
mother country, that had been brought about by the re- 
peal of the Stamp Act, did not last long. King George 
III and the English Parliament still insisted that they 
had a right to tax the colonies, and they soon passed an- 
other tax law as bad in principle as the Stamp Act. The 
colonies resisted it, and England tried to force them to 
submission. The strife between the two countries grew 
worse and worse, until at last it resulted in the great 
Revolutionary War, which began with the Battle of 
Lexington, fought in Massachusetts, April 19, 1775. 
An account of how the war broke out and of its early 
battles you can learn from United States history. 

When the news of the Battle of Lexington reached 
Georgia it caused great excitement, and the patriotic 
people began making vigorous preparations for war. 
The Royal Governor, James Wright, about whom you 
learned in the last lesson, did his best by persuasion and 
by threats to keep the colony loyal to the English Gov- 
ernment, but all in vain. At last he was forced to flee 

131 



132 Georgia History Stories. 

the country and take refuge in England. Many other 
leading Tories were driven from the colony, and those 
that remained were required to take a solemn oath not to 
do anything to aid the British. All the British officials 
were turned out of their positions, and the Patriots took 
complete posses-sion of the government. In place of 
the banished Governor Wright, Archibald Bulloch,* an 
able and noble Patriot, was put at the head of afifairs 
with the title of President and Commander-in-Chief. 

The people of Georgia refused to carry on commerce 
with England or to buy anything brought over in Eng- 
lish ships, thus voluntarily depriving themselves of many 
comforts and almost of many necessities of life. They 
sent large donations of money, clothing and provisions 
to the fighting American soldiers at the North. They 
raised a fine regiment of volunteers to defend Georgia 
from British invasion ; and this regiment, on the 2d of 
March, 1776, most gallantly drove back a fleet of Brit- 
ish warships that was trying to capture the American 
merchant vessels lying at the wharves of Savannah. In 
the fight three British marines were killed and several 
were taken prisoners, while the Americans had only 
one man wounded. This was the first bloodshed of the 



*This Archibald Bulloch was the great-grandfather of Theodore Roose- 
velt, President of the United States. 



The Capture of Savannah. 



133 



Revolution in Georgia. Georgia was represented in the 
Continental Congresses that met in Philadelphia during 
the Revolution; and her three delegates, George Wal- 
ton, Button Gwinnett, and Lyman Hall, signed the 
Declaration of Independ- 
ence passed by the Con- 
gress of 17 7 ().'•' 

Among the men who 
took a leading part in 
the stirring incidents of 
the early days of the 
Revolution in Georgia 
were Archibald Bulloch, 
Joseph Habersham, Sam- 
uel Elbert, Lachlan ^Ic- George Walton. 
Intosh, George Houston, Jonathan Bryan, Button Gwin- 
nett, Noble Jones, and Lyman Hall. You will observe 
that there is a county in Georgia named for each of these 
great patriots, and well do they deserve the honor. 

During the first three years of the Revolution the 
war was waged almost entirely at the North, mainly in 
the states of Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, 
and Pennsylvania; but in the latter part of 1778 the 

*You will find a full account of these interesting ^-nts in th^ histo^^^ 
of Georgia by Rev. Wm. B. Stevens and by Hon. C C. Jones excellen 
books for every Georgia man and woman to read. 




134 



Georgia History Stories. 




British commanders determined, for several reasons, to 
transfer the seat of war to the South. They decided to 
begin with the invasion of Georgia. Their plan was to 

swoop down on Savan- 
nah from the sea and 
then overrun and subju- 
gate the whole State. 
The people of Georgia 
knew nothing of these 
plans. For nearly three 
years they had been let 
alone, and they hoped 
Button Gwinnett. that the war would be 

fought out at the 
North, where it began, 
and that no British 
army would ever set 
foot on Georgia soil ; 
but they were doomed 
to be rudely awakened 
from this fond dream 
of security. 

On the Gth of De- 
cember, 1778, a de- 
serter from the British Lyman Hall. 




The Capture of Savannah. 



135 



navy, a man by the name of William Haslan, managed 
somehow to make his way to Savannah, and he told the 
people a startling story, like this : "On the 2od of No- 
vember a large fleet of British warships and transports, 
accompanied by a big 
army of soldiers, sailed 
from the harbor of New 
York and is now on the 
high seas on its w^ay to 
Savannah to capture the 
city. You may look for 
it to reach here about the 
12th of the month." The 
story filled the people 
with alarm, for they Laohlan Mcintosh, 

were wholly unprepared to defend themselves against 
such an invasion. Every day after the 12th of the 
month they looked with fear and trembling for the 
appearance of the dreaded fleet, but day after day 
passed and not a warship hove in sight. The people 
began to believe that the deserter was mistaken or else 
had purposely told them a lie, but in this hope they were 
doomed to bitter disappointment. Just at sunset on the 
23d of December the people on Tybee Island, about 
eighteen miles below Savannah, at the m.outh of the 




136 



GeoTQ-ia History Stories. 




river, saw a large fleet 
of ships coming from the 
northeast witli ^11 sails 
spread and the EngHsh 
flag floating from the 
mastheads. On came the 
ships Hke a company of 
evil spirits and cast an- 
chor off the island. The 
Noble Jones. fleet consisted of five 

men-of-war and five transports, having on board three 
thousand five hundred soldiers, besides sailors and ma- 
rines. The news of their arrival was quickly conveyed to 
the city, and you may be sure there was no "Merry Christ- 
mas" for the people of 
Savannah that year. 
Maybe the children had 
their Christmas trees and 
their stockings filled by 
Santa Claus, but for the 
grown folks there were 
neither feasts nor merry- 
makings. 

It took the British 
officers several days to Joseph Habersham. 




The Capture of Savannah. 



137 



get their bearings before they were ready to begin the 

attack. The Patriots, with their utmost efforts, could 

get together an army of 

only nine hundred men 

to defend the city. This 

little army was under the 

command of General 

Robert Howe, a cousin 

of General Howe, of 

the British army. He 

w^as a true patriot and a 

well-meaning man, but a 

very stupid general, as 

, ,- rr-i General Robert Howe. 

we shall soon see. ine 

second in command was Colonel Huger; the third in 

command was Colonel Elbert ; the fourth in command 

was Colonel Walton. 

II. QUASH DOLLY AND THE FLANK MARCH. 

At daybreak on the 29th of December the British 
army was landed on the banks of the Savannah River, in 
the rice fields of Mr. Girardeau's plantation, at a point 
just two miles in a bee-line southeast of the city. The 
army, which consisted of about three thousand men, 
was commanded by Colonel Archibald Campbell, a very 
able officer. As soon as the soldiers had landed, they 




138 Georgia History Stories. 

were formed into ranks and started marching straight 
toward Savannah. To reach the city they had to cross 
a boggy marsh over a causeway, or raised road, half 
a mile long, and then ascend a high bluff, known at the 
present time as Brewton Hill. Colonel Elbert urged 
General Howe to marshal the American army along the 
edge of the bluff, so that they might pour their cannon 
shots and volleys of musketry into the ranks of the 
British as they crossed the narrow causeway ; but Gen- 
eral Howe, instead of taking good advice, drew up his 
men in line of battle about a mile back of the hill to- 
wards the city,* in the rice fields on Governor Wright's 
plantation. To the right of the American line there 
was a swamp, thickly covered with trees and under- 
growth. Colonel Walton said to General Howe, "Gen- 
eral, you had better have the edge of that swamp 
strongly guarded, lest the enemy steal a march through 
it and turn our flank." "Nonsense," sneered Howe, 
"nothing but a wildcat could get through that jungle!" 
and so he left the swamp unguarded — a stupid blunder, 
as we shall soon see. 

General Howe sent Captain John Smith's company 
of forty men forward to Brewton Hill to watch for the 

*This line crossed the Thunderbolt Road about where the Atlantic Coast 
Line Railroad freight depot now stands. 



The Capture of Savannah. 139 

coming of the enemy and act as skirmishers. Captain 
Smith made his men lie flat down on their stomlachs 
along the edge of the bluff and keep a sharp lookout in 
front of them. In a little while here came the British 
army, with drums beating and flags flying, marching 
over the causeway. Considerably in advance of the 
others marched Captain Cameron's company of one 
hundred Scotch Highlanders. They crossed the cause- 
way and were just starting up the hill when Captain 
Smith's Americans rose suddenly to their feet and fired 
a volley of musketry into their ranks. Captain Cam- 
eron and three of his men fell dead and five were 
wounded. The company was thrown into disorder and 
the men started to run back, but quickly rallied when 
they saw the rest of the British army hurrying up to 
their assistance. Captain Smith's company now fefl back 
to the main American line. 

The British army marched up the hill and a con- 
siderable distance beyond, and there formed in line 
of battle* close behind a long rail fence. Eight hundred 
yards in front of them, and in plain view, was the Amer- 
ican line of battle, drawn up behind some low earth- 
works that had been hastily thrown up the night before. 

*This line crossed the Thunderbolt Road about where the tollgate now 
stands. 



140 Georgia History Stories. 

About midway between the two armies ran a little 
creek, the bridge across which had been burned by Gen- 
eral Howe ; and a short distance beyond the creek there 
was a ditch filled with water. The banks on both sides 
of the creek were miry and boggy. So to get at the 
Americans the British would have to labor through the 
bog, wade the creek, jump the ditch, and scale the earth- 
works. Colonel Campbell knew that to make a frontal 
attack on the Americans in this strong position would 
be a hard fight and would cost him the lives of many 
of his men. Looking over towards the swamp on the 
American right he said to a Tory standing by, "Is there 
any way to get through that swamp over there?" 
'*Yes," answered the Tory; "there is a private path 
through it, and there is an old negro named Quash 
Dolly on Girardeau's plantation who can show you the 
way." Quickly Colonel Campbell, guided by the Tory, 
galloped over to the negro quarters on Girardeau's 
place in search of Quash Dolly. He found the old 
negro standing in front of his cabin calmly smoking his 
pipe. Quash was a native African who had been cap- 
tured on the coast of Guinea in his young manhood and 
brought over to America and sold into slavery. He 
was a short, stout, chunky man, with the kinky hair, 
flat nose, and thick lips of his race, and as black as 



The Capture of Savannah. 1-il 

the ace of spades ; but he was sharp and shrewd. He 
wore on his head a coonskin cap which he had made 
himself, and of which he was very proud ; it was so 
made that the bushy and ringed tail of the coon waved 
from the top like a plume. Colonel Campbell asked him 
if he would guide him through the swamp, at the same 
time showing him an English sovereign, a gold coin 
equal to about five dollars in our money. Ouash's black 
eyes sparkled at the sight of the gold, and he readily 
agreed to undertake the job. Colonel Campbell ordered 
two regiments of light infantry, under command of 
Major James Baird, to make the flank march through 
the swamp under the guidance of Quash Dolly, while 
he himself stayed with the rest of the British army in 
front of the Americans. So secretly was Baird's move- 
ment made that the Americans had not the slightest sus- 
picion of what w^as going on. They were watching the 
British behind the rail fence in front of them and won- 
dering why they did not come on to the attack. The 
British soldiers kept marching and counter-marching 
behind the fence, as if they were getting ready to 
charge the Americans ; but not a step forward did they 
move. Thus hour after hour passed. "They are scared 
of us and will sneak back to their ships as soon as night 
comes. Savannah is already saved !" exclaimed Gen- 



142 Georgia History Stories. 

eral Plowe ; but he was badly mistaken. All this time 
Major Baird's two regiments of light infantry were 
stealing a march through the swamp so as to get to 
the Americans' rear. In front trudged the low, stout 
figure of Quash Dolly with the coon tail plume of his 
coonskin cap streaming proudly above his head, while 
behind him marched Major Baird and his thousand 
men, making their way as best they could through the 
thick bushes. By three o'clock in the afternoon they had 
gained the American rear. Bursting from the cover 
of the woods they rushed across the rice fields, and with 
loud yells and volleys of musketry swooped down on 
the Americans from behind, while at the same time 
Colonel Campbell's forces charged upon the patriots from 
the front. So the poor Americans were suddenly caught 
between two fires by an army that outnumbered their 
own nearly four to one. Brave as the American sol- 
diers were, they could not stand against such odds. 
They broke and fled in wild confusion back towards the 
city, many of them being killed as they ran. They were 
pursued by the British through the very streets of Sa- 
vannah, where a number of them were shot down and 
bayoneted almost in the presence of their wives or their 
mothers. On the west side of the town they were ral- 
lied somewhat by their officers near the spot where the 



The Capture of Saz-annali. 143 

Central Railroad Depot now stands, and passed out in 
rapid retreat by the Augusta road and across Musgrove 
Creek. In this way many made their escape. But the 
British soon got possession of the road and the bridge 
across the creek. Colonel Elbert's regiment, finding 
itself thus cut ofif from this avenue of escape, rushed 
through the rice fields to the banks of the creek near 
where it empties into the river. The tide was up and 
the creek was full of water. A hundred men jumped 
in and tried to swim across the creek. All of them suc- 
ceeded except thirty poor fellows, who were drowned 
in the attempt. Two hundred others, afraid to make 
the plunge, stood on the bank until the British came up, 
when they surrendered themselves as prisoners of war. 

The brutal British soldiers, wild with fiendish joy 
at their victory, committed all sorts of outrages on the 
people of Savannah, such as the bursting open of doors, 
the robbing of houses, the insulting of women, and the 
maltreating of prisoners. Colonel Campbell either could 
not or would not restrain them. 

Night came at last, and brought to a close one of 
the saddest and most awful days that the city of Savan- 
nah has ever known. In this fight eighty-three Amer- 
icans were shot dead on the field, thirty were drowned 
in trying to swim Musgrove Creek, over a hundred were 



14^ Georgia History Stories. 

wounded, and many were taken prisoners, while the 
British lost altogether only four men killed and ten 
wounded. Of the nine hundred soldiers composing- the 
American army, scarcely more than four hundred es- 
caped. These gathered together the next day at a 
place eight miles above Savannah. With General Howe 
at their head they marched far up the river to Sister's 
Ferry and crossed over into South Carolina. So poor 
Georgia was abandoned to her fate ! A few weeks later 
the British army had overrun and practically subju- 
gated the whole State. 



CHAPTER XL 
THREE GEORGIA TORIES. 

I. THOMAS BROWN. 

By the 1st of February, 1779, the British had gained 
ahnost complete possession of Georgia. Their com- 
mander, Colonel Campbell, issued a proclamation call- 
ing on the people to take the oath of allegiance to the 
King and the Government of England. He promised 
that those who would take the oath should not be 
molested, but declared that those who refused would be 
driven from the colony and would have all their prop- 
erty confiscated. Frightened by this threat a great 
many people took the oath and became British sub- 
jects; these people were called Tories. But many re- 
fused to take the oath because they would rather suf- 
fer banishment and the loss of their property, or even 
death, than give up their heroic struggle for Amer- 
ican independence; these were called Patriots. So the 
people of Georgia were divided into these two parties, 
Tories and Patriots, which hated each other with a 
bitter hatred. 

In proportion to the population there were more 
Tories in Georgia than in any other state. Some of them 



145 



146 Georgia History Stories. 

were no doubt good, honest people who really believed 
that the Americans were wrong in rebelling against 
the English Government ; but many of them were mean, 
selfish men who only wished to be on the strong or 
winning side. 

By the British subjugation of Georgia nearly all of 
the Patriots of fighting age were driven out of the 
State, leaving their property and their helpless fami- 
lies behind, while the Tories remained unmolested in 
their homes. James Wright, the royal Governor, came 
back from England and was once more placed at the 
head of the Georgia Government. 

So the British and the Tories now held full sway in 
Georgia, and most cruelly did they use their power. 
The Tories were far worse than the British. They 
formed themselves into military companies that were 
nothing more than bands of ruffians. They roved over 
the country on horseback and on foot committing 
all sorts of outrages, robbing the people, burning 
houses, throwing old men into prison, insulting women, 
hanging every Patriot soldier that they could lay their 
hands on, sometimes even murdering children, and show- 
ing no mercy to any one who favored the American 
cause. In no other state were the Tories so wicked 
and cruel as in Georgia. They were even worse than 



Three Georgia Tories. 147 

the savage Indians, whom they employed to help them. 
The worst of these Georgia Tories was a man bv 
the name of Thomas Brown. He had always been a 
Tory; and in the early days of the Revolution he 
had made himself so obnoxious to the patriotic peo- 
ple of Augusta, where he lived, that one day a crowd 
of men dragged him out of his office, and, stripping him 
to the waist, poured over his naked body a pot of soft 
tar and over that emptied a pillow case full of feathers, 
which stuck to the tar and made poor Brown look like 
a big, ugly frizzled chicken. Thus "tarred and feath- 
ered," they seated him in an open wagon drawn by three 
mules and hauled him about the streets of Augusta, 
while a great crowd followed with hoots and jeers. 
After parading him for an hour or two they turned him 
loose with the warning that if he did not leave town 
within twenty-four hours they would kill him. For sev- 
eral hours Brown kept his negro servant busy washing 
the tar and feathers from his body; then he put on his 
clothes, and, raising his right hand towards heaven, he 
took a solemn oath that he would be avenged for this 
great shame and outrage that had been done him. He 
left the city and the State, but many months afterwards 
he came back, and how well he kept his oath is a story 
that has been written in blood ! 



us 



Georgia History Stories. 



It was when Georgia fell into the hands of the Brit- 
ish that Brown came back, and soon he became the chief 
leader of the Tories in the State. He was a well edu- 
cated, intelligent man, and had fine military ability, so 
that he was made a colonel in the English army and was 
placed in command of Augusta, his old home. His 
army was composed about half and half of Tories and 

Indians. His opportu- 
nity had now come, and 
he kept his oath. All 
of the Patriots of fight- 
ing age had left Au- 
gusta and were in the 
American army. Brown 
confiscated their prop- 
erty, threw their old 




From an old print. 

Residence of George Walton 
at Augusta. 



gray-haired fathers and grandfathers into prison, ex- 
pelled their helpless wives and children from their 
homes, and drove them two hundred miles away into 
North Carolina. Their sufferings on the journey were 
awful. A number of them died from exposure and ex- 
haustion, and many others had their health ruined for 
life by the hardships they endured on that dreadful 
march. 

In September, 1780, General Elijah Clarke, with a 



Three Georgia Tories. 149 

small army of Patriots, undertook to recapture Augusta. 
He succeeded in driving Brown's army out of the city, 
and they took refuge in a large building just outside 
of the town known as the ''White House." Brown had 
the doors and windows barricaded and bored holes 
through the walls, through which his marksmen, with 
their long-range rifles, held the Americans at bay. The 
building was completely surrounded by the Americans, 
and it seemed impossible for Brown and his men to es- 
cape. General Clarke had no cannon with which he 
could batter down the house, so he had to depend on 
starving out the Tories. For four days and nights he 
held them besieged. Their provisions were nearly ex- 
hausted, and every drop of water was gone. Tn one of 
the large upper rooms of the house lay forty poor 
wounded Tory soldiers with no medicines and no band- 
ages or salves for their wounds, and not a drop of 
water to slake their feverish thirst. Their shrieks of 
agony and their wild cries for "water ! water !" could 
be plainly heard in the American camp. Brown himself 
was severely wounded, shot through both thighs, and 
was suffering dreadfully ; but he never gave up. He 
had himself carried around in a big arm-chair from 
room to room to direct and encourage his men, who 
were nearly crazed with famine and thirst. General 



150 Georgia History Stories. 

Clarke sent a flag of truce to him and begged him in 
the name of humanity to surrender, but he positively 
refused. He was as brave and heroic as he was bad 
and cruel. 

At last, on the morning of the fifth day, the relief 
for which Brown had been looking came. Colonel 
Cruger, with a large regiment of British regulars, sud- 
denly appeared on the other side of the river. Brown 
had sent a secret messenger for them on the day he had 
been driven from Augusta, and at last they had arrived. 
General Clarke, knowing that he could not contend 
against this large force, withdrew his army from the 
vicinity of Augusta and quickly retreated. He left be- 
hind thirty wounded Americans who were unable to 
march. He supposed, of course, they would be treated 
as prisoners of war. He knew not then the cruel heart 
of Thomas Brown, though he afterwards learned to 
know it well. 

Brown selected thirteen of the wounded Americans 
and had them hanged from the high balustrade of the 
staircase in the "White House," so that he might wit- 
ness their dying agonies as he lay on his couch in the 
hall below. As each victim was pushed fjom the bal- 
ustrade and fell with a dull thud at the end of the 
rope, Brown would utter a grunt of satisfaction. He 



Three Georgia Tories. 151 

turned the rest of the prisoners over to the tender mer- 
cies of his Indian alhes, who, forming a circle around 
them in the front yard of the "White House," put them 
to death by slow and horrible tortures. A long chap- 
ter might be filled with the inhuman cruelties of Brown, 
but it would be too horrible a story for you to read. 

When in 1781 Augusta was at last captured by the 
Americans, Brown was taken prisoner. Knowing that 
if the soldiers could get their hands on him, they would 
tear him limb from limb, the American commander had 
him carried down the river in a boat under a strong 
guard. It is strange that he was not court-martialed 
and hanged, a fate that he richly deserved. The Amer- 
icans were only too merciful to him. He was soon after^ 
wards exchanged and rejoined the British army, and 
till the end of the war he continued his fierce fighting 
and cruel deeds. After the war was over, knowing that 
he could not live in America, he took refuge in England. 
There, in the year 1812, he was convicted of forgery 
and thrown into prison, where he ended his infamous 
life in disgrace and ignominy. 

II. DANIEL McGIRTH. 

Daniel McGirth was another notorious Tory of 
Georgia. Unlike Brown, he was an ignorant, unedu- 
cated man ; and unlike Brown, too, he started out as 



152 Georgia History Stories. 

an ardent Patriot. He was born and reared in South 
Carolina when that was a new, wild country. He was 
a good woodsman and as active and lithe as a pan- 
ther. He was a fine horseman and a splendid shot. He 
was among the first to take up arms in the American 
cause. Somehow he drifted down to South Georgia, 
where he belonged to the little band of Patriots that 
so bravely resisted the invasion of the British from 
Florida. He acted as a scout and spy for the Ameri- 
cans, and he rendered them extremely valuable service. 
He brought with him from South Carolina a thor- 
oughbred horse, of which he was very proud. She was 
an iron-gray mare with a snow-white blaze in her fore- 
head, and he called her Gray Goose. She was consid- 
ered the finest horse in the American army, beautiful, 
intelligent, and swift as the wind. A captain in the 
American army took a great fancy to the animal and 
tried to buy her from McGirth, offering him a large 
price; but McGirth refused to part with her. This 
angered the captain who, out of spite, mistreated 
McGirth in many mean, petty ways, as an officer can 
mistreat a subordinate, if he chooses. McGirth was a 
high-spirited fellow. Irritated beyond endurance, he one 
day insulted the officer and raised his arm to strike 
him ; but some one intervened and stopped the blow. 



Three Georgia Tories. 153 

Now, to strike a superior officer is a grave crime in the 
army, so McGirth was tried by court-martial and sen- 
tenced to receive ten lashes with a cowhide on his bare 
back three days in succession. The first whipping was 
administered and he was put in the guard house to 
await his second humiliation. You can imagine the 
feelings of this high-spirited man, as he paced up and 
down in his cell brooding over the bitter shame to 
which he was being subjected! About twilight, as 
he was gazing through his prison bars, he spied 
Gray Goose hitched to a tree not far away. He 
gave a low, peculiar whistle, and Gray Goose, recogniz- 
ing the signal, raised her beautiful head and uttered 
an affectionate whinny in response. This was more than 
he could stand. With a broken trowel that he found in. 
his cell and with his bare hands, he tore the masonry 
from around the prison bars ; then, with almost super- 
human strength, he pulled out one of the bars and 
through the narrow crack thus made squeezed his long, 
lithe body and rushing out, sprang on Gray Goose and 
dashed away ! The guards called to him to halt, but he 
only shook his fist at them and yelled a dreadful curse, 
and dashed away in the darkness on his fleet-footed 
steed, heedless of the musket balls that whistled about 
his head! 



154 Georgia History Stories. 

His whole nature seemed perverted by the bad treat- 
ment which he had received. He deserted to the enemy 
and joined the British army, and from then to the end 
of the war fought ferociously against the Americans. 
Of course, the bad treatment he had received from the 
American officer was no excuse for this, but McGirth 
was as unprincipled as he was brave and fierce. 

He was made a colonel in the British army and 
was put at the head of a powerful Tory band, which 
for many months was the scourge of the State. He 
was a perfect ruffian in his manner of warfare. From 
the Florida line to Elbert County and over into South 
Carolina his name was a terror to the people. Many 
were the fearful stories told of ''McGirth and his 
blazed-faced horse!" A whole book might be written 
about his daring deeds and his inhuman cruelties. He 
was twice wounded, but was never taken prisoner. A 
big reward was offered for his capture, and a thousand 
people were trying to catch him and often had him in 
a tight place; but in every emergency he was saved by 
the fleet foot of his best friend. Gray Goose! 

After the war was over, he went to Florida, which 
was then owned by the Spaniards. For some offense 
or crime there he was arrested and thrown into prison 
in the old fort of St. Augustine. After five years' im- 



Three Georgia Tories. 155 

prisonment he was released, so weak and broken in 
health that he could barely drag himself back to his 
wife in their rude country home in Sumter District. 
South Carolina. There he soon died in peace, and there 
he now lies buried ! 

III. COLONEL GRIERSON. 

Colonel Grierson was another bad Tory. He was 
Brown's right-hand man. They were two of a kind. 
They were companions in arms and companions in 
many acts of cruelty. Never was there joined together 
in the commission of wicked deeds two men worse than 
Brown and Grierson, the Georgia Tories. 

Grierson, like Brown, was a colonel in the British 
army. Fort Grierson, at Augusta, was named for him. 
It was one of the strongest forts in Georgia, and around 
it at the siege of Augusta was fought one of the blood- 
iest battles of the Revolution in the State. When Au- 
gusta was captured by the Americans, Grierson, like 
Brown, was taken prisoner. To save him from being 
mobbed by the soldiers, the American commander had 
him hid away in a little house some distance from town 
and placed a strong guard around him; but suddenly 
about twilight a soldier on horseback galloped up and, 
before the guards knew what he was about, threw his 
gun to his shoulder, shot Grierson through the window, 



156 Georgia History Stories. 

and then, wheeling, galloped away. That night Grier- 
son died of the wound, in dreadful agony. The man 
that shot him was supposed to be Samuel Alexander, 
the son of John Alexander, an old man seventy-eight 
vears old, whom this Grierson had treated with hor- 
rible cruelty when he and Brown held sway in Augusta. 
Young Alexander was never arrested or tried for the 
deed. "Vengeance is mine, I will repay !" says the Bible, 
but perhaps a merciful God will pardon a man for taking 
vengeance in his own hands in a case like this. 



CHAPTER XII. 
THREE GEORGIA PATRIOTS. 

I. ELIJAH CLARKE. 

Nearly all the Patriots of fighting age had left the 
State to join the American army elsewhere, so there 
was nothing to restrain the demon Tories. The people 
became cowed and hopeless. Alany who had been 
Patriots gave up the struggle and took the oath of al- 
legiance. The State seemed to be abandoned to her 
unhappy fate. But by the blessing of Almighty God 
there arose in this dark day a few great, heroic souls 
to redeem Georgia and avenge her wrongs! 

The greatest of these heroes was Colonel Elijah 
Clarke. Just a year before the war broke out he moved 
with his wife and children from North Carolina to 
Wilkes County, Georgia, where he settled as a farmer. 
In the early part of the war he joined the Patriot army, 
and in a fight with the British in Florida he was des- 
perately wounded and for a long time disabled. He 
was at his home in Wilkes County recovering from this 
wound when the British, under Colonel Campbell, cap- 
tured Savannah and began overrunning the State. As 
soon as Colonel Clarke heard the news, he buckled on 

157 



158 Georgia History Stories. 

his good sword, mounted his horse, and, leaving his 
wife and children on the farm, rode day and night 
over the country, getting together a band of Patriots 
to fight the British if they should come into that sec- 
tion of the State. He mustered one hundred dragoons, 
all Georgians, and as good fighters as ever mounted a 
horse or shouldered a gun. 

Colonel Boyd, a British officer, with a band of a 
thousand Tories, while march- 
ing through north Georgia 
on his way to Augusta to join 
Colonel Campbell, camped one 
night in an open field on Kettle 
Creek, in Wilkes County. The 

following day Colonels Pick- 
Colonel Andrew Pickens. ^^^^ j^^^^^,^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^.^^^ ^ 

band of five hundred Carolina and Georgia Patriots, 
bursting through the thick cane brakes, made a sur- 
prise attack on them and a desperate battle took 
place. The Tories greatly outnumbered the Patriots 
and were getting the best of them, when Colonel 
Clarke, with his hundred Georgians, made a bold 
flank movement, and, gaining a hill on the other side of 
the creek, poured a deadly fire into the enemy's rear, and 
''snatched victory from the very jaws of defeat." The 




Three Georgia Patriots. 159 

Tories were completely routed. Seventy-two of them 
were killed, more than a hundred were wounded, many 
were taken prisoners, and the rest were scattered to 
the four winds. Colonel Boyd himself fell mortally 
wounded, and died the next day. This battle of Kettle 
Creek, fought February 12th, 1779, was the most bril- 
liant American victory in Georgia, and Colonel Elijah 
Clarke was the hero of the day. 

For months Colonel Clarke, at the head of his little 
band of Patriots, carried on a guerrilla warfare with the 
British and Tories throughout what was then north 
Georgia, including especially Elbert and Wilkes coun- 
ties. Constantly in the saddle, moving rapidly from 
place to place, suffering from hunger, thirst, fatigue, 
and all kinds of hardships, rarely ever sleeping under 
a roof, living in swamps and jungles, striking the enemy 
a blow whenever a chance offered, he was the only pro- 
tection the people had from the outrages of the brutal 
Tories. Through it all, by his side rode and fought his 
son, John Clarke, a youth of seventeen years, who after- 
wards became a famous man in Georgia. 

Worn out with the hard life that they had to endure, 
many of Colonel Clarke's men left him and returned to 
their homes or crossed over to South Carolina and joined 
the regular American army, and some of them even 



IGO Georgia History Stories. 

took the oath of allegiance to the British Government. 
At one time his command had dwindled down to less 
than twenty men; but the heroic spirit of Elijah Clarke 
would not be discouraged. He rode day and night 
among the mountains of north Georgia and over into 
South Carolina stirring up the people and calling them 
to arms. By this means he increased his force to three 
hundred men. With these he marched against Augusta 
and made an unsuccessful attempt to capture the city 
from the Tory, Brown. After this failure he saw that 
for the present he could do nothing more in Georgia ; 
so, accompanied by his devoted followers, he crossed 
over into South Carolina and joined the American 
army in that State, where he fought with great gal- 
lantry in many fierce battles. 

In the spring of 1781 he returned to Georgia for 
the purpose of making another attempt to capture Au- 
gusta. Together with the commands of Pickens, Jack- 
son and McCall, he succeeded in surrounding the city. 
About the 1st of June the investing army was rein- 
forced by the famous Legion of "Light Horse Harry" 
Lee, and that officer assumed principal command. The 
main defense of Augusta was a powerful fort which 
stood on a bluff of the river and in the yard of St. 
Paul's Episcopal Church. This fort was built ]:)y (Jgle- 



Three Geon^ia Patriots. 



161 



thorpe in 1736, and had always been known as Fort 
Augusta. Colonel Brown, the Tory, had enlarged and 
strengthened the structure and had changed its name to 




"Light Horse Harry"' Lee. 



Fort Cornwallis. Towards the close of the siege the 
British army, driven back from the outposts, took 
refuge in this fort, which seemed absolutely impreg- 
nable. 

For several days the Americans were greatly puz- 
zled what to do. At length they resorted to the strata- 
gem of the ''Mayham tower," so called because the de- 



162 Georgia History Stories. 

vice was invented by Major Mayham of the American 
army. It consisted of a square tower built of huge 
unhewn logs and rising forty feet high. As the tower 
rose, the inside of it was filled with dirt packed down 
hard. Near the top an embrasure, or opening, was 
made through the logs ; and through this opening a 
single little six-pound cannon, the largest piece of ar- 
tillery the Americans had, looked down into Fort Corn- 
wallis, which was within easy range of its plunging 
fire. For days this terrible little war dog poured a tem- 
pest of well-aimed shot and shell down into the fort, 
destroying its barracks, demolishing its walls, and kill- 
ing and wounding its garrison by scores. The poor, 
pent-up soldiers, driven to desperation, dug holes in the 
ground, into which they crept for protection from the 
pitiless iron hail. 

At length, on the 5th of July, Colonel Brown, see- 
ing that further defense was worse than useless, sur- 
rendered himself, the entire garrison, the fort, and the 
city (or village as it then was) to the Americans. 

This device of the Mayham tower was one of the 
most brilliant stratagems of the Revolutionary War. 
The fort, which had been practically destroyed by the 
plunging fire of the little six-pounder, was never re- 
built. The spot on which it stood has been marked by 



Three Georgia Patriots. 163 

a stately and beautiful monument, erected by tiie 
Colonial Dames of Georgia. It is made of granite from 
the quarries in Oglethorpe County. This noble me- 
morial of both Colonial and Revolutionary history was 
unveiled with impressive ceremonies on November 23, 
1901. The IMayham tower was located near where the 
Cotton Exchange of Augusta now stands. 

Till the close of the war Colonel Clarke (or Gen- 
eral Clarke as he had now come to be) continued to 
do glorious service for Georgia. His martial tramp 
was heard from one end of the State to the other, and 
his strong right arm dealt blow on blow upon the 
doomed heads of British and Tories. He was four 
times wounded, twice nigh unto death. In camp he con- 
tracted a severe case of smallpox, from which he lay 
prostrate for six weeks ; but in each instance, as soon 
as he was able to mount a horse, he was up and about 
again, encouraging the faint-hearted and leading the 
brave to battle. 

Elijah Clarke was an uneducated man and was 
rough and uncouth in his manners. He had his faults 
of character, too, but with it all he was a truly great 
man. He dealt severely with the Tories that fell into 
his power; hanged a number of them, burned their 
homes, confiscated their lands, and destroyed their prop- 



164 Georgia History Stories. 

erty. Some people have blamed him for this, bnt he 
believed he was justified in it. These horrid Tories had 
driven his own wife and children from home and burned 
his house. They had treated old men, women and chil- 
dren with inhuman cruelty, had murdered scores of 
Patriots in cold blood, and had spread ruin and desola- 
tion throughout the land. He believed it was but a 
mild retaliation to hang a score or two of them ; and 
who will say that he was wrong? Among the many 
heroes that Georgia produced during the Revolutionary 
War, Elijah Clarke stands out in bold relief as the 
most heroic figure of them all. 

11. JAMES JACKSON. 

Another great Patriot of the times was James Jack- 
son. He w^as born and partly reared in England. His 
father was a worthy, well-to-do, intelligent man, wdio 
sympathized keenly with the Americans in their strug- 
gle against English tyranny and often talked to his 
son about it ; so James was in spirit an American Pa- 
triot before ever he saw^ America. Tn 1772, when he 
was fifteen years old, his father sent him over to Amer- 
ica to become an inmate of the household of John 
Wereat of Savannah, an old and intimate friend of the 
family, who was anxious to have the boy. His father 
was glad to give him this opportunity of growing to 



Three Geors-ia Patriots. 



165 



manhood in the new and promising countr}-. He went 
to the best schools then in Savannah and at the same 
time studied law. 

When the Revolutionary War broke out, young 
Jackson, though only eighteen years old, was among the 




General James Jackson. 

first to shoulder a musket in the American cause. In 
the fight at Savannah with the British troops in March, 
1776, he behaved so bravely that President Bulloch 
wrote him a letter of thanks and commissioned him a 
captain. When in January, 1779, the British, under 
Colonel Campbell, captured Savannah and destroyed the 



166 Georgia History Stories. 

little American army defending the place, Jackson 
managed to make his escape into South Carolina. His 
command was now gone, but he was determined to enter 
the army again as a private. Friendless, penniless, rag- 
ged and barefooted, he and young John Milledge were 
making their way through the country to join Colonel 
Moultrie's regiment in the northern part of the State, 
when a party of American soldiers took them for spies. 
In vain did they protest their innocence. They were 
condemned to be hanged the next day, and the gallows 
was already prepared for them, when Major Devaux, 
happening to come along, recognized them and had them 
set free. Thus the two noble youths had a narrow 
escape from an awful and ignominious death. 

Jackson joined Colonel Moultrie's Carolina regiment 
as a private, but on account of his fine ability and great 
courage he was rapidly promoted until he got to be a 
major. He distinguished himself at the famous battles 
of Cowpens and Blackstocks in South Carolina. After- 
wards he came back to Georgia and was put in com- 
mand of a legion of militia. 

In the spring of 1781 the Americans besieged Au- 
gusta. The town was surrounded by an army of militia- 
men who were ordered to guard the place until General 
Lincoln and "Light Horse Harry" Lee could come down 



Three Georgia Patriots. 



167 



from South Carolina with an army of Continentals''' and 
take the place by storm. The wait was a long and try- 
ing one. It looked as if Lincoln and Lee would never 
come. The militiamen, whose time of enlistment was 
out, became discontented and insubordinate. They 
threatened to disband 
and go home. The 
great colonel, Elijah 
Clarke, was sick with 
smallpox ; and Colonel 
Hammond, who was 
then commanding in his 
stead, could do nothing 
with the men. Ham- 
mond called on Major 
Jackson for help. Jack- 
son said, "Get the men General Benjamin Lincoln. 

together and let me talk to them." 

So the soldiers were assembled in a great crowd in 
an open space in the middle of the camps. When 
Jackson rode up in front of them, they scowled at him 
with morose and surly faces, and some of them even 
started to hoot and jeer him. He began to speak to 

*Continental troops were those in the service of the Congress of the 
United States, and not under the control of any one state, as were the 
militiamen. 




168 Georgia History Stories. 

them. He was a born orator as well as a born soldier, 
and he spoke with burning eloquence. He did not 
scold or chide or threaten them; he appealed to their 
manhood ; he spoke straight to their hearts ; he stirred 
the nobler spirit in them, and soon the scowls vanished 
from their faces and they were cheering wildly. They 
were carried away by his eloquence. When he had fin- 
ished he called on all who were willing to stand by 
the post of duty to hold up their right hands, and the 
hand of every man went up. They kept their promise 
and stood guard faithfully around Augusta until a month 
later, when Lincoln and Lee, with the Continental 
troops, came from South Carolina and joined in the 
capture of the city. 

Many other times Jackson used his eloquence to 
good purpose in reviving the sinking spirits of the peo- 
ple and the waning heroism of the soldiers. But on 
one occasion he had to use sterner means than this to 
teach his men their duty. The legion was made up 
about half and half of dragoons and infantrymen. The 
dragoons were picked men and were faithful to him ; 
but the infantrymen, exasperated by the hardships of 
war, formed a conspiracy by which they were to assas- 
sinate Jackson and then disband and go to their homes. 
A faithful servant told him of the plot two days before 



Two Georgia Patriots. 



169 




Lee's Cavalry Skirmishing. 

it was to be executed. Without appearing to know any- 
thing about it, he ordered the infantrymen to assem- 
ble without arms on the parade ground at sunset to 



170 Georgia History Stories. 

hear a very important proclamation that he had to read 
to them. Suspecting nothing, and curious to know what 
the proclamation could be about, the men gathered on 
the parade ground promptly at the appointed hour. 
Jackson rode slowly in front of them as if about to 
read the proclamation, but instead of doing so he made 
a signal by waving his handkerchief over his head, 
whereupon the dragoons, fully armed, came galloping 
up and surrounded the astounded infantrymen and held 
them prisoners. All night they were guarded like 
criminals. The next day Jackson picked out the six 
ringleaders of the conspiracy and had them hanged in 
the presence of the whole legion. Then he made a 
speech to the men, in which he told them he knew they 
had been led into this foul plot by the few bad men 
who had been hanged, and from whose fate they must 
take warning; he would pardon them for what they had 
done. Then he appealed to them to return to their duty 
like true soldiers. The lesson sank deep into their 
hearts, and they gave him no further trouble. Jackson 
was a kind-hearted man, but he could be severe when 
duty required it. 

Towards the close of the Revolutionary War, Jack- 
son and his men had harder service to perform than any 
other soldiers in Georgia. At last, when the war was 



Three Gcorcria Patriots. 



171 



brought to a close by the British surrendering Savan- 
nah, General Anthony Wayne, Commander-in-Chief of 
the American army in 
Georgia, said : "The 
keys of the captured 
city must be handed not 
to myself, but to my 
young brother officer. 
Colonel James Jackson ; 
for to him more than 
to any other man is 
due the triumphant is- 
sue of this trying cam- 
paign !" Thereupon the 
keys were formally handed to Jackson, and he was the 
first American soldier to tread the streets of recaptured 
Savannah, from which he had been driven by the bay- 
onets of the British four years before. He was still 
only twenty-three years old. 

James Jackson, unlike Elijah Clarke, was an edu- 
cated, cultured gentleman. He had a splendid intel- 
lect, and afterwards became a great lawyer and states- 
man. He was a man of medium height and slender 
figure, but was perfectly formed. He had light hair, 
clear penetrating blue eyes, and commanding features. 




General Anthony Wayne. 



172 Georgia History Stories. 

He was noble natured and warm hearted, but very high 
tempered. He was a briUiant soldier of the Revolu- 
tion, but the most glorious part of his career came after 
the war was over. 

III. JOHN TWIGGS. 

Another great Georgia soldier of the Revolution was 
General John Twiggs. Not long before the war started, 
he came to Georgia from Maryland as a young me- 
chanic. He entered the army as captain and rose rap- 
idly to the rank of brigadier-general. Brave, active, 
talented, and influential, he was a tower of strength to 
the Patriots. No partisan leader in Georgia was en- 
gaged in more fights and battles with the enemy, and 
never once did he suffer defeat. He lived for twenty- 
five years after the war was over, and filled many posi- 
tions of honor and trust in Georgia. He was a member 
of the State Legislature for a number of years, and was 
a trustee both of Richmond Academy, Augusta, and of 
the University of Georgia. He died in Richmond 
County in April, 1816. 

Each one of this great trio of Revolutionary heroes, 
Clarke, Jackson, and Twiggs, became the founder of 
families that have given to Georgia a number of able 
and distinguished men. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



SIEGE OF SAVANNAH. 

I. d'estaing outwitted. 

You remember that Savannah was captured by the 
British on the 29th day of December, 1778. For eight 
months they kept undisturbed possession of it, but in 
the early fall of 1779 
the Americans laid a 
careful plan to recap- 
ture the city. Already, 
France had espoused 
the cause of America, 
and had sent a large 
fleet of warships and an 
army of men to help 
in the struggle for in- 
dependence. This fleet 
and army, which was 
under the command of Count d'Estaing, a noted French 
general, was ordered to proceed to Georgia and aid the 
Americans in the recapture of Savannah. 

The plan was for the American and the French 
forces to get to Savannah about the same time, to sur- 

173 




Count d'Estaing. 



174 Georgia History Stories. 

round the city and demand its surrender. It happened, 
however, that the French fleet under d'Estaing reached 
the mouth of the Savannah River before Lincoln's 
American forces had arrived from South Carolina. In- 
stead of waiting for Lincoln's arrival, as he should have 
done, d'Estaing landed his army at once, and, advanc- 
ing within two miles of Savannah, called on the Brit- 
ish general, Prevost, to surrender. General Prevost 
seemed much alarmed, and talked as if he might comply 
with the demand, but asked for twenty-four hours to 
consider the matter. He also insisted that during this 
time d'Estaing should withdraw his forces four miles 
from the city and remain there until the twenty-four 
hours had expired. D'Estaing very unwisely agreed to 
this truce and withdrew his troops to a distance 
Shrewd General Prevost spent the twenty-four hours in 
vigorous preparation for defense. He kept fifteen hun- 
dred men, soldiers and negroes, working in relays night 
and day, constructing fortifications, or redoubts, around 
the city. He took many large cannon from the warships 
lying in the river and placed them in the redoubts. He 
sent a secret messenger to Colonel Maitland over in 
South Carolina to hurry to his assistance. That officer 
managed, in a wonderful way, to slip past the French 
fleet in the mouth of the river and to land safely at 



Siege of Savannah. 



175 



Savannah with his regiment of five hundred men. The 
pent-up garrison was overjoyed at the arrival of this 
strong reinforcement. During this time Prevost was 
keeping up a cunning correspondence with d'Estaing, 
leading him to believe 



that he would surrender 


^v^KB^^S^B B^^^^^E^wSswIu 


at the end of the twenty- 
four hours if satisfactory 
terms could be agreed 


upon. 

In the meantime, Gen- 




eral Lincoln arrived from 


Count Pulaski. 


South Carolina with 
the American forces. In 



Lincoln's command was the famous Pulaski Legion, led 
by the valiant Count Pulaski, a Polish nobleman and 
soldier, who, having been driven from his own coun- 
try by Russian despotism, had come over to the United 
States and joined the American army. He had been 
put in command of a legion of cavalry, and had rapidly 
gained great distinction as a daring and successful leader. 
At this time he was about thirty-five years old, the very 
beau ideal of a soldier — tall, stalwart, handsome, with 
a fine military bearing. 

As soon as Lincoln arrived, d'Estaing said to him, 



176 Georgia History Stories. 

with great elation : ''I have Savannah already sur- 
rounded, and it is completely in our power. Negotia- 
tions are now going on for its surrender, and the city 
will be ours before sunset without the firing of a gun!" 
But in this, poor d'Estaing was wofuUy mistaken. He 
had ''reckoned without his host." When the twenty-four 
hours' truce had expired, General Prevost sent word to 
the Americans that he had no idea of surrendering, but 
would defend Savannah to the bitter end. D'Estaing 
and Lincoln were greatly surprised and disappointed at 
this reply, and all the more so when they approached 
the city and found it too strongly protected to be taken 
by storm. D'Estaing had been completely outwitted by 
Prevost. 

II. THE BOMBARDMENT. 

Deciding that Savannah could not be taken by storm, 
Lincoln and d'Estaing determined to try to take it by 
siege and bombardment. The bombardment was begun 
on the 26th of September ; and from then until the 8th 
of October the Americans and the French boomed and 
boomed away at the British, and the British, in 
reply, boomed and boomed at them ; but with all 
the cannonading not much damage was done on 
either side. The American cannon balls passed mostly 
over the heads of the British in the redoubts and fell 



Siege of Savannah. Ill 

in the city. Many houses were struck, several were de- 
moHshed, and two were set on fire and burned. Nearly 
all the women and children were taken over to Hutcher- 
son Island, where they lived during the siege in the great 
rice barns there. Those that remained moved into the 
basements and cellars of their houses, where they would 
be in less danger. In the cellar in which General Pre- 
vost's wife and children stayed, the walls were lined 
with mattresses and feather beds, so as to make them 
bomb-proof. A bomb shell penetrated a cellar in which 
a family was living and, bursting, killed two of the 
negro servants. Another shell crashed into a room and 
killed a young mother and her three-weeks-old infant. 
Several negroes were killed on the streets by exploding 
shells. Savannah at that time was one great sand bed, 
and the shells falling in the streets or in the squares 
would generally bury themselves in the sand and have 
their fuses extinguished, for a bomb shell is burst by 
a fuse just as fire-crackers are. The negro children got 
so accustomed to the shells that when they saw one fall 
they would run up and extinguish the sputtering fuse 
by stamping it with their feet or by throwing sand on 
it, and would take the unexploded shell and sell it to 
the artillerymen for sixpence. A dangerous business 
surely for such small pay! 



178 Georgia History Stories. 

For two weeks the bombardment was continued 
without making any progress towards forcing the Brit- 
ish to surrender. The French fleet in the mouth of 
the Savannah River was now in constant danger of 
being attacked by a more powerful British fleet that 
might at any time be sent against them from England. 
Count d'Estaing was therefore naturally restless and 
anxious to get away. So he and Lincoln determined to 
try to take Savannah by one brave, desperate assault. 

III. THE ASSAULT AND PULASKl's DEATH. 

The American and French generals planned very 
carefully for the grand assault. It was to take place at 
daybreak on October 9th. 

On the east side the approach to Savannah was 
mostly over dry, firm, level ground, by good roads, and 
through concealing forests ; so for defensive purposes that 
was the weak side. Hence the British had placed their 
strongest fortifications there. On the west side the ap- 
proach was more difficult ; for over there were Musgrove 
Creek and swamp, and marshy rice fields lying below 
the level of the city. The French and the Americans de- 
termined to make the attack on that strong west side for 
the very reason that the British would not be expecting 
it at that point. To mislead them still further, they 
ordered General Huger's regiment to make a vigorous 



Siege of Savannah. 179 

pretended, or feigned, attack on the east side just before 
daybreak, so as to cause the enemy to concentrate his 
forces at that point, while the real assault was being 
made on the w^est side. The plan w^as a splendid one, 
and might have succeeded if treachery had not taken a 
hand in this exciting game of war. On the night of 
the 8th of October, James Curry, of Charleston, ser- 
geant-major of a regiment of South Carolina volunteers, 
deserted and made his way into Savannah and revealed 
the whole plan to the British.* 

At three o'clock on the morning of October 9th, in 
the darkness before dawn, the French and American 
forces concentrated in the woods of Musgrove swamp 
to the west of Savannah, and were there marshalled 
into battle array for the grand assault. Three hundred 
yards in front of them was the line of British redoubts 
manned with cannon, and in front of the redoubts were 
trenches for the infantry. The assault was to be di- 
rected mainly against Spring Hill redoubt, which stood 
very near where the "round house" of the Central Rail- 
road shops now stands. The assaulting column con- 
sisted of about four thousand men, three thousand 
French and one thousand Americans. About eleven 



* It is gratifying to know that a year later the Americans captured 
this traitor at Hobkirk Hill (N. C). and hanged him. 



180 Georgia History Stories. 

hundred men were held in reserve to strike in at the 
critical time whenever their services might be most 
needed. Pulaski's Legion was among these reserves 
and occupied a position to the left and back of the as- 
saulting column, where, from an elevated piece of 
ground, Pulaski could clearly see the whole battlefield. 
A little before sunrise, in the gray light of the break- 
ing day, the assaulting column emerged from the 
woods and started at quick-step across the open space 
toward the enemy's works. As they approached the 
redoubts they were disappointed to find that the British 
were not surprised, but on account of the information 
brought by the traitor Curry, were ready to give them 
a warm reception. Fifty cannon poured an iron storm 
of grape, canister and chain shot into their ranks. 
They fell like grass before the mower. Their line 
was torn into fragments and went reeling back, but 
under the rallying cry of their brave officers they gath- 
ered themselves together and charged forward again. 
As they drew still nearer to the enemy's works, a leaden 
hail from the muskets in the trenches was added to the 
iron storm from the cannon in the redoubts. Still they 
pressed on, until some of the trenches were captured 
and the American flag was planted on one of the re- 
doubts. The opposing columns stood within a few feet 



Siege of Savannah. 181 

of each other, and fired point blank into each other's 
faces. 

At this critical moment Count Pulaski said to Gen- 
eral Lincoln : "Let me take my horsemen, dash in be- 
tween those two redoubts on our left and gain the 
enemy's rear. We will spread havoc among them from 
behind, while the infantry press them in front, and the 
victory will soon be ours !" General Lincoln readily 
agreed to this bold stroke. The bugler blew the rally, 
the two hundred cavalrymen formed in column for the 
charge. Pulaski, galloping to the front on his superb 
black charger, raised his sword aloft and cried "For- 
ward !" The men put spurs to their horses and away 
they dashed, swift as the wind, straight towards the 
open space between Spring Hill redoubt and the one 
next to the right of it. A more splendid cavalry charge 
was rarely ever seen on earth. But as they came sweep- 
ing like a cyclone up to the enemy's works, Pulaski saw 
that the infantry whom he had come to support, driven 
back by the terrible fire, had abandoned the assault and 
were streaming to the rear in a wild stampede. Still 
on dashed Pulaski and his horsemen. The concen- 
trated fire of both redoubts was now turned upon them. 
Pulaski, on his black charger, leaped the entrenchments 
and dashed into the gap between the two redoubts. 



182 Georgia History Stories. 

Only a few of his horsemen and some infantry whom 
he had raUied were with him now. All the rest had 
been shot down or driven back. At this moment a small 
cannon ball, called grape shot, fired from the Spring Hill 
redoubt, struck the gallant Polander in the right groin. 
Still retaining his sword in his right hand, he threw 
his left hand over to the wounded side. His horse, 
feeling the reins slacken, made a great lunge. Pulaski 
reeled in his saddle and fell heavily to the ground. 
His brother Polander, Major Rogowski, sprang from 
his horse and knelt by his side. "J^sus ! Mary !" faintly 
groaned Pulaski, for he was a devout Roman Catholic. 
A glancing musket ball struck Rogowski on the fore- 
head, making only a slight wound but filling his eyes 
with blood and knocking him senseless by Pulaski's 
side. Several of Pulaski's brave soldiers rushed up at 
the imminent risk of their own lives, bore their chief- 
tain through the sulphurous smoke and death-dealing 
missiles to the rear of the battlefield, where Dr. James 
Lynah of Charleston extracted the ball — an operation 
which, though exceedingly painful, was borne by Pulaski 
with inconceivable fortitude. The grape shot is still in 
possession of Mr. J. H. Lynah of Savannah, a great- 
grandson of Dr. Lynah. 

This was one of the fiercest and bloodiest battles of 



Siege of Savannah. 183 

the Revolutionary War, and in it the Americans with 
their French alHes suffered a complete and crushing 
defeat. Men never fought more bravely than they did, 
but nothing human could stand before the terrible can- 
nonade from the enemy's lines. Out of the 5,000 sol- 
diers actually engaged on the American side 1,133 were 
killed or wounded, 821 French and 312 Americans. 
Nearly all of the officers were either killed or wounded. 
Count d'Estaing, who most bravely led the assault, was 
wounded in the early part of the battle, but refused to 
leave the field until he was prostrated by a second shot 
and had to be borne away by his men. He finally re- 
covered from his wounds, and afterwards had a very 
distinguished career in France. The British lost only 
one hundred men all told. The battle started at sun- 
rise and by nine o'clock it was all over; the last sound 
of the strife had died away, and amid the drifting 
smoke the black-robed Angel of Death brooded in 
silence over that bloody plain. 

All hopes of taking Savannah were now abandoned. 
Immediately after the .battle General Lincoln retreated 
to Ebenezer, and a little later crossed over the river into 
South Carolina. In a few days d'Estaing with the 
whole French fleet and army sailed away for France. 

On the day after the battle, as soon as Dr. Lynah 



18-i 



Geoviiia History Sto 



rics. 



had attended to his wound, Pulaski was put on board 
a ship to be carried to Charleston for safety and proper 
attention. But he had received a mortal hurt, and, in 
spite of the best surgical attention, he died on shipboard 
the next day. He was buried in the sea, somewhere 

between Savannah and 
Charleston. 

In 1853 the city of 
Savannah erected a mag- 
nificent marble monu- 
ment to this heroic for- 
eigner who had sealed 
with his life's blood his 
devotion to the cause 
of American liberty. 
The monument stands 
in Monterey Square, in 
the heart of the city. It 
was made in Italy, at a 
Monument to Pulaski. cost of eighteen thousand 

dollars, and is probably the finest 4Diece of tombstone work 
in Georgia. The figure of Pulaski falling from his horse 
as he receives his death wound, carved in high relief on 
one side of the monument, is especially beautiful, and is 
regarded by art critics as a masterpiece of sculpture. 




Siege of Savannah. 185 

Georgia has honored Pulaski also by naming one of her 
counties for him. 

IV. DEATH OF SERGEANT JASPER. 

In the assault on Savannah an American soldier of 
immortal fame received his death wound within a hun- 
dred yards of where Pulaski fell, and at almost the same 
moment. His name was William Jasper, a young vol- 
unteer from South Carolina. He was a man of hum- 
ble origin. His parents were poor, honest Irish, who 
emigrated to America and settled in South Carolina, 
where they earned a livelihood by the toil of their hands. 
Their famous son was brought up not only in poverty, 
but in ignorance, for in those days the children of the 
poor had little or no chance for getting an education. 
William Jasper never went to school a day in his life, and 
he grew to manhood without being able to read or write. 

At the outbreak of the war he joined the Second 
South Carolina Regiment, one of the finest regiments in 
the American army. He proved a model soldier and 
won the admiration of his officers. He was a splendid 
specimen of physical manhood. There was not a loose 
stitch in his body nor in his character. Although en- 
tirely uneducated, he was endowed with an abundance 
of mother wit and the gift of ready and eloquent speech. 

In t4ie Battle of Fort Moultrie, at Charleston, S. C, 



186 



Georgia History Stories. 



in the early part of the war, he distinguished himself 
by a deed of great daring. In the midst of the fight 
a cannon ball fired by the British struck the flag staff 
on the fort, and the American flag fell to the ground. 
Jasper picked it up, and, amid shot and shell, clam- 




From the painting by Oertel. 

Sergeant Jasper at Fort Moultrie. 

bering to the top of the fort, replaced the flag in its 
former position, shouting, ''God save liberty and my 
country forever!" In recognition of his bravery, Gov- 
ernor Rutledge, in the presence of the whole regiment, 
ofifered him the commission of lieutenant ; but Jasper 
replied in these words : "Governor, I thank you most 
heartily for this honor, which is more than I deserve. 



Siege of Savannah. 1^'^ 

but I can't accept it. I am a poor, ignorant body; I 
can-t write my own name or even read a line. As ser- 
geant I may do pretty well, but as lieutenant I would 
onlv get myself laughed at and lose the respect of my 
fellow soldiers." The Governor replied: "Good sergeant, 
that was noblv spoken! I see that you are as modest 
as vou are brave. Since you will not accept the com- 
mission, I beg that you will accept this sword as a per- 
sonal gift from me." At the same time, he unbuckled 
his own weapon from his side and handed it to Jasper, 
who received it, saying, with tears in his eyes: "Gov- 
ernor, I pray that I may never do anything to dishonor 

this sword!" 

In the vears after the Battle of Fort Moultrie, Jas- 
per was frequently detailed to act as scout and spy for 
General Lincoln, This is the most dangerous service 
that a soldier can perforn>, and requires not only cour- 
age, but great shrewdness and intelligence. Many were 
the daring deeds done by Jasper in discharge of the 
duties of this position. In a number of his expeditions 
he was accompanied by another famous scout and spy, 

Sergeant Newton. 

On one occasion, in the darkest days of the Revolu- 
tion in Georgia, six American soldiers were being con- 
ducted under a strong guard from Ebenezer to Savan- 



188 Georgia History Stories. 

nah, where they were to be tried for their Hves for en- 
tering the American army after having taken the oath 
of allegiance to the British Government. They were 
accompanied by a Mrs. Brown, whose husband was one 
of the prisoners, and her little seven-year-old boy. She 
was going to Savannah to plead with the authorities for 
the life of her husband. Jasper and Newton, while 
spying through the British camp at Ebenezer, found out 
all about this intended expedition, and they determined 
to try to rescue the prisoners. On the road that the 
prisoners and their guard would have to travel, and 
only a few miles from Savannah, there was a famous 
spring known as The Spa. Jasper knew that the party 
would probably stop at this spring to rest before pro- 
ceeding to the city. So he and Newton went ahead 
through the woods, and concealed themselves behind 
the thick bushes near the spring, and awaited the com- 
ing of the party. After a short while the party arrived 
and halted. The soldiers, leaving two of their number 
to guard the prisoners, stacked their muskets ; and, after 
quenching their thirst at the spring, the whole party 
sat down on the ground to rest. Quick as a flash Jas- 
per and Newton sprang from their covert, snatched two 
muskets from the stack, shot the two armed guards 
dead, and then, seizing two other muskets, held at bay 



Siege of Savannah. 189 

the other guards, who were required to remove the 
manacles from the wrists of the Americans. Then the 
Americans transferred the manacles to the wrists of 
the British, and so the tables were completely turned! 
The British prisoners, eight in number, were marched 
to an American camp ten miles away. This was one of 
the most daring and wonderful exploits of the Revolu- 
tionary War. The spring at which it occurred became 
a noted historic spot, and has ever since been known 
as Jasper Spring. In the year 1902 the Lachlan Mc- 
intosh Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revo- 
lution erected at the place a memorial in the form of a 
beautiful fountain made of white Georgia marble. All 
travelers who pass that way stop to drink at the spring 
and to ponder on its tragic story. 

The assault on the British works in the siege of 
Savannah, already described, was led by the Second 
South Carolina Regiment, to which Jasper belonged. 
They carried the first line of works and planted their 
flag on one of the fortifications. This flag had been 
presented to the regiment several years before by Mrs. 
Elliott, of Charleston, one of the leading ladies of South 
Carolina. In a few moments British reinforcements 
came up and drove the Americans back from the posi- 
tion which they had gained. As they were retreating, 



190 



Geon^ia Histor\ Stories. 



Jasper remembered that the flag floating from the 
breastwork had been left behind, and was about to fall 
into the enemy's hands. Determined to rescue it at 
the hazard of his life, he turned, rushed back, and 
mounted the fortification; but just as he seized the flag, 
a cruel musket ball from the enemy tore through one 

of his lungs. Holding 
one hand to his wound- 
ed side, he painfully 
made his way to the 
rear with the rescued 
flag. 

The next day he 
died of his wound, sur- 
rounded by devoted 
comrades. To Major 
Horry, who was hold- 
ing his hand, he said : 

Monument to Sergeant Jasper. <<T\,r • t ^ r -j 

Major, 1 am not afraid 

to die. When I was a little child my good mother 

used to take me on her knee and tell me about the 

Great Hereafter, and I believe it. There has hardly 

been a day, even during all this bloody war, that I have 

not said my prayers night and morning. I believe I 

am prepared for the Great Hereafter. Tell my old 




Siege of Savannah. 191 

father that his son died in hope of a better life. Tell 
Governor Rutledge that I never dishonored the sword 
which he gave me ; and if you should ever see that 
grand gentlewoman (Mrs. Elliott), tell her I lost my 
life saving the flag which she presented to our regi- 
ment." With these words he expired. 

Georgia has honored this gallant Irish-American 
patriot by naming a county for him, and another county 
she has named for his brave comrade, Sergeant Newton. 

In one of the public squares of Savannah a superb 
monument has been erected to Jasper's memory. It is 
surmounted by a bronze figure of heroic size, represent- 
ing Jasper in a noble attitude, holding aloft in one hand 
the flag that he had rescued from the enemy at the Bat- 
tle of Savannah, and in the other the drawn sword pre- 
sented to him by Governor Rutledge. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

NANCY HART. 

Nancy Hart was a famous woman who lived in 
Georgia during the Revolutionary War. She lived with 
her husband, Benjamin Hart, and their eight children 
in a log house on their little farm away out in the coun- 
try, in what is now Elbert County, about ten miles from 
the present pretty town of Elberton. 

Nancy was six feet tall, spare, big boned, and very 
strong. She could ride a horse, shoot a gun, and handle 
an axe as well as any man. She had brilliant red hair 
and a fiery temper; she had penetrating blue eyes and 
a keen wit. She was a high-spirited, energetic, and 
brave woman. She had a strong will, and ''bossed" 
everything and everybody about her. Her education 
was limited, but this deficiency was overcome by her 
natural shrewdness. Notwithstanding her fiery temper 
and overbearing will, she was really a kind-hearted 
woman. People feared and loved her at the same time, 
and far and wide she was known by the fond pet name 
of ''Aunt Nancy." 

Nancy was a great patriot, and was devoted to the 
American cause. Her love for the Liberty Boys was sin- 

192 



Nancy Hart. 193 

cere, while her hatred of the British and the Tories was 
bitter. During the latter days of the Revolution, when 
the war was raging in Georgia, she took an active part 
against the enemy, and many are the wonderful stories 
told of her daring deeds. She was of great assistance 
to General Elijah Clarke in his campaigns against the 
British. On one occasion General Clarke was very anx- 
ious to know the strength and position of the British 
army in Augusta, and Nancy offered to find out for 
him. She disguised herself as a man, which, on ac- 
count of her tall and stalwart figure, she could easily 
do. She pretended to be a poor, half-witted country- 
man ; and, taking a basket of eggs on her arm, she 
walked boldly into the enemy's camp. After selling the 
eggs, she spent the entire day in the camp, entertain- 
ing the officers and soldiers mightily with her crazy 
antics and songs and dances. No one suspected she 
was anything but a poor, half-witted, harmless country- 
man, so she was permitted to rove through the camps 
at will ; but while she was cutting up foolish capers, her 
keen eye and shrewd mind were busy making observa- 
tions and taking notes. Late in the afternoon she walked 
out of the camp without hindrance and carried to General 
Clarke information that enabled him a few days later to 
capture the city of Augusta. 



194 Georgia History Stories. 

One day a young Patriot soldier, or Liberty Boy, 
came riding furiously up to Nancy's door, scared out 
of his wits, and crying at the top of his voice, "Aunt 
Nancy, the Tories are after me, the Tories are after 
me !" "Ride straight through the house and make for 
the swamp !" commanded Nancy,, as she flung the front 
door wide open. The frightened youth lashed his horse 
and made him dash up the steps, through the hall, out 
of the back door, across the fields, and away to the 
swamp in the rear. Quickly Aunt Nancy shut the doors 
and was as still as a mouse. In a few seconds a band 
of armed Tories came galloping up and began knocking 
on the door with the butts of their guns. Aunt Nancy, 
grunting and groaning as if in great pain, hobbled to 
the door and opening it slightly peered out, and in a 
whining voice asked what was the matter. "We are 
looking for a rebel on a gray horse that came this way 
just now. Which way did he go?" demanded the 
Tories. "I haven't seen nor heard no rebel nor no 
horse ; they haven't been this way. Ain't you men 
ashamed to come here skeering a poor, lone, sick woman 
to death !" whined Nancy. She acted the part so well 
that they believed every word she said, and turned and 
rode back the way they had come. Thus Aunt Nancy 
saved the life of the young Patriot soldier, for if the 



Nancy Hart. 195 

Tories had caught him they would certainly have killed 
him. 

Nancy soon became famous all through Georgia 
and the Carolinas. She was loved and admired by the 
Americans, but mortally feared by the British and the 
Tories. It is a great wonder that they did not kill her, 
unprotected as she was in her country home; but some- 
how they stood too much in awe of her to attempt any 
violence. However, they kept spies prowling about her 
home to see what she might undertake to do, for they 
knew that she was herself a most valuable spy for the 
Americans. One night as Nancy was boiling a pot of 
"lye soap" in the big fireplace in her log cabin, stirring 
the soap with a long ladle, and chatting and laughing 
with some neighbor women who had called — for she 
was full of joke and humor— suddenly she noticed a pair 
of eyes in a bearded face peering at her from outside 
through a crack between the logs of the cabin. Pre- 
tending not to notice it, she went on stirring the soap 
and chatting and laughing. Then suddenly with a quick, 
deft motion, she lifted a ladleful of the boiling fluid and 
threw it full in the face of the eavesdropper. He fell 
upon the ground roaring with pain. Nancy snatched 
up a rope and rushed out; and, although he was a big, 
powerful man. she soon had him securely tied. She 



196 Georgia History Stories. 

took him into the house and dressed his burns, and 
made him as comfortable as possible, for she was 
really a kind-hearted woman. Early the next morning 
she shouldered a gun, and making her big prisoner 
with his hands tied behind him walk before her, 
marched him to the American camp, four miles away. 
On the way they had to cross the broad river at a ford. 
The water was not very deep, and Nancy, holding her 
gun in one hand and her petticoats lifted above her 
knees in the other, waded right through, still driving 
her prisoner before her. She took him to the American 
camp and delivered him up to General Clarke. 

During the spring and summer of 1780 the condi- 
tion of affairs in Georgia was dreadful. The little 
American army in the State, though brave and heroic, 
was too small and weak to cope with the powerful 
enemy. Armed bands of cruel, bloodthirsty Tories 
roved over the country at will, committing murders, 
robberies, and all sorts of outrages on the defenseless 
people. General Elijah Clarke, the American Com- 
mander in Georgia, ordered all the women and children 
to move away from the region to a place of safety that 
he had provided for them in Tennessee, and most of them 
went, but Nancy positively refused to go. 'T shan't 
budge a peg, not if me and my children die for it !" she 



Nancy Hart. 197 

said. She and her children remained in their lonely 
country home, her Hfe in constant danger. Her hus- 
band, Benjamin Hart, was captain of a small company 
of American soldiers, known as "Partisans," placed on 
duty in the neighborhood to protect the people as best 
they could. The men composing the company had to 
lie concealed in the swamps most of the time, sallying 
forth only when they saw a chance of striking the 
enemy an eflfective blow. Nancy acted as a spy and kept 
her husband informed of the movements of the British 
and the Tories. Her house was a meeting-place for his 
company. Down by the spring near the house she kept 
a large conch shell, on which she and her children could 
blow with great skill, making a bugle-like sound that 
could be heard for miles around. On this conch shell 
they would blow signals for Captain Hart's company. 
The principal signals were these: One blast, ''Big 
force of the enemy near; lie low!" Two blasts, "The 
enemy gone!" Three blasts, "Come to the house 
quick !" 

One night a band of rufHan Tories went to the house 
of John Dooly, an old gray-haired gentleman, and one 
of the foremost and most beloved men in Georgia, and 
murdered him in cold blood in the presence of his fam- 
ily. John Dooly was a warm personal friend of Nancy's, 



■ V 

ma tii^ 



w 



198 Georgia tlt^W^^tories. 

and, when she heard of his murder, her fiery blood 
boiled like a volcano in her veins. A few days after this 
terrible event a band of five armed Tories rode to 
Nancy's house, and, hitching their horses 'in the grove 
outside, walked into the house and ordered her to get 
dinner for them. As you may well know, this service 
was not to Nancy's liking, but she could not help her- 
self and had to obey. With eyes snapping fire and 
with anger in every motion of her long, lithe body, she 
went about the hateful task. The Tories withdrew to 
a corner of the room and began conversing in a low tone. 
Nancy pricked up her ears and listened keenly. She soon 
caught from their talk that these were the very men 
who had murdered John Dooly a few nights before. 
Nancy's brave heart beat fast and furious, as she 
thought to herself, '*Oh ! you bloody villains ; now I'll 
avenge John Dooly's death !" Her manner towards the 
Tories quickly changed. She became pleasant and 
suave. Soon she was chatting and laughing at a great 
rate with the men, for Nancy was full of joke and 
humor. She went to the cupboard and got out a jug of 
whisky and they all took a big dram, Nancy pretend- 
ing to drink with them, barely moistening her lips with 
the liquor. Nancy was a splendid cook, and soon had a 
fine dinner readv for them. The Tories leaned their 



Nancy Hart. 199 

guns against the walls of the cabin and took their seats 
at the table. Nancy called to her thirteen-year-old 
daughter, "Laura, go to the spring and fetch a pail of 
water" ; and at the same time she made a secret signal 
to the girl by raising three fingers, which, as Laura 
well knew, meant "Blow three blasts on the shell !" The 
dram of whisky had made the men merry, and they 
joked and laughed mightily with Nancy as they ate 
her good dinner with a keen appetite. In a little while 
there came from down by the spring three clear blasts 
from the conch shell, but the Tories did not notice it. 
As Nancy served them she passed back and forth be- 
tween them and the wall ; and as she did so she would, 
ever and anon, take a gun and slip it outside through a 
crack between the logs of the cabin, the same crack 
through which the hapless spy had peered. She had 
slipped two guns through without being detected, and 
had the third in her hand when she was noticed by one 
of the Tories. "Look at that woman," he shouted. All 
of the men jumped from the table and started to rush 
at Nancy. Quick as a flash she had the gun at her 
shoulder, pointed straight at them, her finger on the 
trigger, while determination and defiance gleamed from 
her brave blue eyes. To take a step towards her 
seemed certain death. Nevertheless, one of the men 



200 Georgia History Stories. 

made a bold spring at her. ''Bang!" went the gun, and 
down rolled the venturesome Tory dead at her feet. 
The others fell baek in dismay. Nancy snatched an- 
other gun, and in a jifify had that at her shoulder, pointed 
straight at them, her finger on the trigger. The men 
huddled together in a corner of the room and began to 
consult what to do. About this time Laura returned 
from the spring. "Set down that pail o' water, take 
that gun from agin' the wall, cock it, stand behind me, 
and hand it to me quick when I want it," ordered 
Nancy, without moving a' muscle or taking her eye off 
the Tories. The girl obeyed, and the sharp metallic 
"click, click" of the cocking guns was the only sound to 
break the death-like silence. The four Tories were now 
completely cowed. They began trying to make terms 
with Nancy. They offered her all the money they had 
and their five horses hitched in the grove, and prom- 
ised to leave the country for good if she would let them 
go ; but Nancy answered not a word. You can imagine 
the picture — the four men cowering in the corner, afraid 
to move ; Nancy, tall, stalwart, determined, standing mo- 
tionless with her gun pointed at them, the dead Tory lying 
at her feet, and her daughter with a cocked gun standing 
behind her ! Thus for some time they stood in death-like 
silence, the wretched Tories wondering what would hap- 



Nancy Hart. 201 

pen next, for they knew nothing of the conch-shell signal 
or what it meant. After a while the tramping o^ feet was 
heard outside, and there was a loud knock at the door. 
''Come in !" shouted Nancy, and in rushed Captain Ben- 
jamin Hart and a squad of eight "Partisan" soldiers. 
"These are the villains that murdered John Dooly in 
cold blood, and they must hang for it !" cried Nancy, 
pointing at the Tories. When the poor wTetches heard 
this they turned pale as ashes, for they saw their doom. 
They began to deny bitterly that they had anything to 
do with the killing of John Dooly. ''You are liars as 
well as villains," cried Nancy. "You done it ; I heard 
you say yourselves you done it ! You murdered John 
Dooly in cold blood, and you shall hang for it!" They 
were bound and held as prisoners. The next day they 
were tried by court-martial, and it was proved that they 
were the men that had murdered John Dooly ; therefore, 
they were condemned to be shot. "No, not shot ! Hanged ! 
They murdered John Dooly in cold blood, and they must 
hang like clogs for it!" ordered the imperious Nancy, 
and as usual she had her way. The miserable wretches 
were taken out and hanged to the limbs of a big oak 
tree that stood near the spring by which the conch shell 
lay. Aunt Nancy herself witnessed the execution with 
great satisfaction, and she always regarded tne capture 



202 Georgia History Stories. 

of the Tories that had murdered John Dooly as the most 
glorious of all her deeds. 

Soon after the close of the Revolutionary War, Cap- 
tain Benjamin Hart died. Nancy mourned his loss for 
a year or two and then married an industrious, thrifty 
farmer, younger than herself. They moved out to the 
Mississippi Valley and were doing well when a great 
freshet came and ruined their fortune. Her second 
husband died, and poor Nancy was again a widow. She 
wandered back to Georgia, where she lived for some 
time with one of her married daughters near Bruns- 
wick. Finally she moved out to Kentucky, where she 
had relatives living; there she spent the rest of her days, 
and there she lies buried. Nancy had never been a 
pious woman ; but towards the end, when old age had 
turned her red hair gray and had plowed wrinkles in 
her strong, brave face, she ''got religion" at a big Meth- 
odist revival, and, as a famous writer* has wittily said 
of her, "She spent the rest of her days fighting Satan 
and sin with as much vigor as in her prime she had 
fought the British and the Tories." 

Georgia has honored this brave, heroic woman by 
naming one of its counties for her, the only county in 
the State named for a woman. 

*Joel Chandler Harris in his "Stories of Georgia." 



Nancy Hart. ' 203 

In Elbert County, Georgia, there is a bold, romantic 
stream known as ''War Woman's Creek." This was 
named by the Indians in honor of Nancy Hart, for 
the savages greatly feared and admired her. One of the 
most flourishing chapters of the Daughters of the 
American Revolution in Georgia is the "Nancy Hart 
Chapter," at Milledgeville, Baldwin County. 

A part of the log house in which Nancy lived is still 
standing on the old Hart farm in Elbert County, and in 
the canebrake near by still flow the cool crystal waters 
of the famous spring by which the conch shell lay. A 
hundred yards from the spring there is pointed out to 
travelers a big oak tree from the limbs of which it is 
said dangled the bodies of those villainous Tories who 
"murdered John Dooly in cold blood !" 

Recently the Daughters of the American Revolution 
(the Stephen Heard Chapter, of Elbert County, and the 
Nancy Hart Chapter, of Baldwin County) have ar- 
ranged to buy this old Nancy Hart homestead, and to 
properly mark and preserve it as a perpetual memorial 
to one of Georgia's truest and most heroic patriots. 



PART III. 

DEVELOPMENT PERIOD 

CHAPTER XV. 
ALEXANDER McGILLIVRAY. 

I. McGILLIVRAY'S PEDIGREE AND EARLY CAREER. 

By all odds the most striking and interesting figure 
in Georgia history during the first ten years after the 
Revolutionary War was Alexander McGillivray, a half- 
breed Indian Chief. 

In the year 1735 there came to Charleston, South 
Carolina, on a ship from Liverpool, a Scotch youth, 
seventeen years old, by the name of Lachlan AIcGilli- 
vray. His father was a Scotch nobleman of wealth and 
distinction; but the boy, in a wild spirit of adventure, ran 
away from home and came to the New World to try his 
fortunes. 

He had in his pocket a neat sum of money; so 
taking up his quarters at the best tavern in Charleston, 
he spent several days in viewing the city and the sur- 
rounding country. One day while wandering out in 
the suburbs, he came across the camp of a party of In- 
dian traders — white men whose business was to carry 

204 



Alexander McGiUivray. 205 

merchandise on pack horses to the various Indian 
tribes away off in the back woods. One of the traders 
persuaded young McGiUivray to go with him as his 
assistant. From this beginning he became much at- 
tached to the business and followed it for many years. 
By his intelligence, industry and business shrewdness 
he became, in course of time, one of the best-known 
and most successful Indian traders in America. He 
was of a daring disposition, and ventured farther with 
his train of pack horses than any other trader in 
the South. He used to go up into the French pos- 
sessions in the neighborhood of Fort Toulouse, where 
the town of Wetumpka, Alabama, now stands. There 
he met and fell in love with, and subsequently married, 
a beautiful half-breed Indian girl, bearing the beautiful 
name of Sehoy. Her mother was a full-blooded Indian 
princess, daughter of a noted chief and descended from 
a long line of chiefs of the Tribe of the Wind of 
the Great Creek Nation. Her father was Captain Mar- 
chand, commander of the French garrison at Fort Tou- 
louse, and a gentleman of distinguished family, culture 
and refinement. So pretty Sehoy of the Tribe of the 
Wind was a high-bred lady. One who knew her well 
at the time of her marriage describes her thus : "A 
maiden of sixteen, beautiful in countenance, cheerful in 



206 Georgia History Stories. 

looks, bewitching in manners and graceful in form." 
There can be no doubt that the marriage of this dusky 
Indian girl of the lustrous eye and coal-black hair to 
the fair-complexioned, blue-eyed, red-headed young 
Scotchman was a true love match. 

INIcGillivray had acquired considerable wealth as an 
Indian trader. He owned a plantation on the Coosa 
River in Alabama. There shortly after his marriage 
he settled, and there were born to him and beautiful 
Sehoy of the Tribe of the Wind three children, a son 
and two daughters. To the son was given the name of 
Alexander. Lachlan McGillivray subsequently bought 
a plantation on the Savannah River in Georgia, whither 
he moved with his young family. 

Pretty Sehoy of the Tribe of the Wind had now 
become a dignified Georgia matron with her children 
about her knees. There was no school to which she 
could send the children, so, being a woman of some 
education, she taught them how to read and write. 
When Alexander was ten years old his father sent him 
to New York, where for four years he attended the best 
schools in that city. He afterwards went to school in 
Savannah, and later still was sent to Charleston to study 
Latin and Greek under a learned clergyman and famous 
teacher of that day. Young McGillivray was an apt 



Alexander MeGHIizray. 207 

student and had a great love for books, and he was 
specially fond of the noble Latin and Greek classics — 
a sure sign of a fine and lofty intellect. 

After he had finished his school education he was 
placed in a large mercantile firm in Savannah in which 
his father was a partner, but he had no taste for this 
hum-drum, prosy business. At his earnest entreaty his 
father allowed him to go on a year's visit to his mother's 
people, the Tribe of the Wind, in north Alabama. He 
was received with honor and hailed with joy by the 
Indians, for he was their own. Proud of him were 
they, and they had reason to be. He was six feet tall 
and straight as an arrow. He had his mother's large, 
dark, lustrous eyes and a dash of her dusky complexion ; 
he had his father's strong, intellectual head, and his 
French grandfather's long, tapering, fingers, high in- 
step, and mien and bearing of a gentleman. He was 
made chief of the Tribe of the Winds, and never more 
did he return to the hum-drum life of a grocery 
merchant. 

Here we lose sight of him for a few years, but dur- 
ing this time there is no doubt that his masterful ability 
was asserting itself among the Creek Indians. 

II. McGILLIVRAY IN THE REVOLUTION. 

About the beginning of the Revolutionary War, Mc- 



208 Georgia History Stories. 

Gillivray came again into the field of vision, this time 
standing out in bold relief as an historical character. 
A great council of all the chiefs of the great Creek 
Nation was being held at Coweta Town, right where 
the little village of Fort Mitchell, Ala., now stands, 
the same place that Oglethorpe had visited some thirty- 
five years before. There were three thousand chiefs 
and head men present at the meeting. The principal 
business before the council was the determination of the 
position which the Creek Indians should take in the 
Revolutionary War, then opening. IMcGillivray, by 
sheer force of native ability, got complete control of the 
assembly and persuaded them to espouse the cause of 
the British. From that moment he became supreme chief 
of the Creeks, and from then till near the end of his 
life he held them absolutely obedient to his will. The 
Creeks were by far the most numerous and powerful 
of the Indian nations in the South. Its numerous tribes 
occupied nearly all of Georgia, the whole of Alabama, 
and a part of Mississippi. They could furnish many 
thousands of the bravest and fiercest warriors. For his 
great service in winning the Creeks to the English side, 
INIcGillivray was given the rank of colonel in the Brit- 
ish army, with a colonel's full pay. 

McGillivray had really wished his people to be en- 



Alexander McGillivray. 209 

tirely neutral in the war, but this they were not per- 
mitted to be. Their situation was such that they were 
compelled to join one side or the other. He knew that 
the British were far stronger than the Americans ; and 
believing that they would triumph in the war, he natu- 
rally wished to be on the winning side. But, on the 
other hand, he was afraid to antagonize the Americans 
too strongly; for if they should triumph in the war, — an 
issue entirely possible, — he knew it would be in their 
power to visit a terrible vengeance on his people. So 
he proved a rather luke-warm, half-hearted ally to the 
British. Throughout the war he helped them some ; but 
had he chosen so to do, he could have helped them a 
great deal more. When Georgia was invaded he took 
an active though not very vigorous part with the British 
and the Tories against the Patriots. He was no fighter 
himself, for he had not inherited the fighting instinct 
with his Indian blood, and he was never in a battle; 
but he furnished Brown and AIcGirth and other Tory 
leaders with their Indian allies, in rather sparse num- 
bers. 

Lachlan McGillivray, the father, was a much 
stancher Tory than his son Alexander, and with his 
great wealth he did much to help the British cause. 
When the war was over nearly all of his property was 



210 Georgia History Stories. 

confiscated by the Americans, and his family was re- 
duced to poverty. 

III. THE OCONEE WAR. 

During the Revokitionary War, nearly all of the 
Indian tribes of Georgia had sided with the British and 
had engaged in open hostilities against the Patriots. 
Now that the war was over, they had, of course, to 
share the fate of the conquered and submit to any terms 
that Georgia might exact. 

In the northwest corner of the State dwelt the 
Cherokee Indians, a small nation very little related to 
the Creeks. In May, 1783, the chiefs of the Cherokees 
met at Augusta commissioners appointed by the Legis- 
lature of Georgia for the purpose of making a treaty. 
The commissioners demanded a large cession of Chero- 
kee lands, which was granted, thus adding considerably 
to the territory of Georgia towards the northwest. For 
a long time afterwards, Georgia had no further trouble 
with the Cherokees. They kept the treaty because they 
couldn't help themselves, for they were a feeble people 
and had no strong McGillivray back of them. 

In November, 1783, Governor Lyman Hall called 
the chiefs of all the Creek tribes to meet at Augusta 
for the purpose of making a treaty with commission- 
ers appointed by the Legislature. When the day for 



Alexander McGillwray. 211 

the meeting came, only a few of the chiefs were pres- 
ent ; and McGilHvray, the supreme chief, was conspicu- 
ous by his absence. Nevertheless, the Georgia com- 
missioners went ahead and made a treaty with the few 
chiefs that were present. These chiefs assumed to act 
for the whole Creek Nation, .and ceded to Georgia all 
of the lands lying between the Ogeechee and Oconee 
rivers and extending up to the mountains in the Chero- 
kee country. 

By this cession Georgia had added to her territory 
a vast, beautiful and fertile region of country. She at 
once divided it into two large counties, Washington 
County to the south and Franklin County to the north.* 
Parties of government surveyors were sent into the re- 
gion to lay it off into townships and lots. A large por- 
tion of it was set apart to be distributed as bounties and 
rewards to the Georgia heroes of the Revolutionary 
War. The rest was to be thrown open to any settlers 
who might choose to come and pay the small purchase 
price of the lands. Every encouragement w^as given 
for the rapid peopling and development of this choice 
region, and a good many settlers actually moved into 
it. Though only a few of the Indian tribes had been 
party to the treaty, all seemed to acquiesce in it. They 

* These two counties weie subsequently cut up into twelve counties 
of the present day. 



212 Georgia History Stories. 

uttered no protest ; they did not interfere with the sur- 
veyors or the incomin,c^ settlers and moved rapidly 
away from the east to the west side of the Oconee. 
Everything seemed peaceful and serene, but these ap- 
pearances were deceptive. 

Alexander McGillivrav was strongly opposed to the 
Treaty of Augusta, for he believed that it had been un- 
fairly obtained and that it greatly wronged his people. 
He determined that it should not be carried out ; but 
with Indian cunning he concealed his feelings and de- 
signs, while he went quietly to work to accomplish his 
purpose. 

As soon as he heard of the treaty he hastened to 
Pensacola, Florida, where, acting for the whole Creek 
Nation, he made a secret treaty with the Spanish Gov- 
ernment by which he made the Creeks the allies of Spain. 
This was a master stroke of diplomacy. Spain at that 
time claimed the country between the Chattahoochee and 
the Mississippi rivers, including the southern part of the 
present States of Alabama and Mississippi. Georgia 
claimed the same region under the original grant from 
England. The country in dispute was inhabited mainly 
by Creek Indians, and by McGillivray's treaty the 
Creeks pledged themselves to support the claims of 
Spain as against Georgia. In return for this support 



Alexander MeGillk'ray. 



213 



Spain was to protect the Creeks, as far as she could do 
so, from the Georgians and from all other enemies. 

Having accomplished this, McGillivray hastened 
back to Georgia, where he moved quietly from tribe to 
tribe of the Creeks firing their hearts and stirring them 




Indians Plundering Cattle on a Frontier Plantation. 



to revolt against the Treaty of Augusta. The blow fell, 
as Indian outbreaks usually do, when least expected. In 
May, 1785, a party of painted savages crossed the 
Oconee and went on the w^arpath into the lately ceded 
region, killing the settlers, burning the houses, stealing 
the cattle and whatever else they could carry ofif. Gen- 
eral Elijah Clarke, of Revolutionary fame, quickly got 



214 Georgia History Stories. 

up a party of white men and drove the marauders back 
across the river. This was the beginning of what is 
known in Georgia history as ''The Oconee War." It 
lasted in a fitful, irregular sort of way for ten years, 
being repeatedly inteirupted by "treaties of peace," 
which the Ind^ns always violated at the first oppor- 
tunity. The prime mover and instigator of it all was 
Alexander McGillivray. 

The first attempt to put an end to this so-called 
Oconee War was in the fall of 1785. In November, the 
chiefs of the Creek tribes were summoned to meet the 
Georgia commissioners at Galphinton, on the Ogeechee 
River (a few miles below the present town of Louisville) 
for the purpose of making another treaty. McGilli- 
vray used his powerful influence to keep the chiefs from 
attending, consequently only a few of them were pres- 
ent. It was the story of the Treaty of Augusta over 
again. The few chiefs present, assuming to act for the 
whole Creek Nation, signed a treaty by which they not 
only confirmed all the concessions that had been made 
at the Treaty of Augusta, but in addition gave up to 
the whites a large and choice region in southeast 
Georgia, known then as the "Tallassee Country," includ- 
ing a vast tract between the Altamaha and St. Mary's 
rivers, and extending considerably to the west. 



Alexander McGiUivray. 215 

Of course, McGiUivray repudiated this treaty, and 
under his instigation it was soon broken by the Indians, 
and the "Oconee War" was resumed. It consisted, as 
before, of occasional Indian raids into the ceded terri- 
tory on the east side of the Oconee River, with murder 
of settlers, burning of houses and stealing of cattle. 
The Indians were usually quickly driven away v/ith 
severe punishment. 

In October, 1786, another council was held on 
Shoulder Bone Creek, in Hancock County. It was the 
same old story that had already been enacted at Au- 
gusta and Galphinton. Only a few chiefs were present. 
A new "treaty" was made confirming the Treaty of 
Galphinton and adding some new provisions. In a few 
months the treaty, under the instigation of McGiUi- 
vray, was again broken by the Indians, and the Oconee 
War went on as before. In this Oconee War (so called), 
during its continuance of ten years, hundreds of white 
settlers were murdered, many homes were burned, and 
tens of thousands of dollars' worth of property was de- 
stroyed. A volume of blood-curdling stories might be 
written about the times.* 

The authorities of Georgia had long known that 
Alexander McGiUivray was the instigator of all these 

*Some tragic incidents connected with this war are graphically re- 
lated in Joel Chandler Harris's little book, "Stories of Georgia." 



216 Georgia History Stories. 

troubles, and they had used their utmost efforts to have 
a meeting with him and come to some understancUng, 
but he evaded them every time. He had led them to 
believe that he would attend the meeting at Augusta, 
but he was not there. He had positively promised to 
be at Galphinton ; but he had not the least idea of go- 
ing, and not only absented himself, but kept the other 
chiefs away. He was full of deceit and double dealing. 
In his letters to the Georgia authorities (he was a strong 
and forceful writer) he was never defiant, but always 
courteous, reasonable, and apparently anxious for peace ; 
but he never, or rarely ever, meant what he said. His 
aim was to drag out the fitful, desultory ''Oconee War" 
as long as possible, until he could unite all of the Indian 
nations east of the Mississippi into one mighty combina- 
tion and bring affairs to a state where the interests of 
Spain would be involved, so that he might reasonably 
call on that great power for aid. 

At last the United States took a hand in the game 
and united with Georgia in trying to bring the crafty 
Indian to terms ; but with his fine address McGillivray 
baffled them at every point, and the ''Oconee War" 
still went on. Finally the United States commissioners 
succeeded in making an engagement with him for a 
meeting that he could not evade. It took place on the 



Alexander McGillivray. 217 

20th of September, 1789, at Rock Landing, on the banks 
of the Oconee River, not far from the present town of 
Milledgeville. On the east side of the river appeared 
the commissioners, accompanied by a battery of Ught 
artillery ; on the other side of the river was McGillivray, 
with two thousand warriors armed cap-a-pie 1 He had 
brought this army to overawe the commissioners. Mc- 
Gillivray, with some of the leading chiefs, rowed across 
the river in canoes, and the conference with the com- 
missioners began. It lasted several days. McGillivray 
was, as always, dignified, courteous and self-contained, 
appearing anxious for peace and well pleased with the 
terms offered by the commissioners. The treaty was 
drawn up in writing, and was to be submitted to a 
grand council of all the chiefs the next day. McGilli- 
vray and his companions rowed back across the river to 
notify the chiefs. Late that night the commissioners 
heard a mighty commotion in the Indian camp across 
the river. When they arose the next morning they saw 
that IMcGillivray and his host of two thousand warriors 
had vanished! Soon two negroes came rowing across 
the river in a canoe bearing a letter from McGillivray 
to the commissioners, which said: 'The terms you offer 
are not satisfactory. We are compelled to move away 
from here to find forage for our horses. Further ne- 



218 



Gcorij^ia History Stories. 



gotiations will have to be deferred until next spring." 
The commissioners were astounded and bitterly disap- 
pointed, for the wily fox had given them the slip. 
These august officers had come from New York City 

to middle Georgia — a 
toilsome journey of 
more than a month in 
those days — and their 
mission had failed to 
accomplish anything. 
Yet, from the Indian 
standpoint, McGillivray 
is not to be blamed ; 
for the terms of the 
treaty offered by the 
commissioners demand- 




/ ' ■!! iLc f\iiiitiiig by Cilhcrt SliKiil. 

George Washington. 



ed of the Indians the surrender of vast tracts of their 
choicest lands (the same as the Treaty of Galphinton) 
without the least compensation. No wonder the su- 
preme chief found it "unsatisfactory." 

IV. THE TREATY OF NEW' YORK. 

In the year 1790 the United States was organized 
under the new Constitution which gave to the Federal 
Government much greater powers than it had ever had 
before — among others, entire control of Indian affairs. 



Alexander MeGUlivray. 219 

The Georgians appealed to President George Washing- 
ton to exercise this new power by sending a Federal 
army down to Georgia to conquer the Creek Indians 
and force them to stand by the treaties which they had 
made with the whites. But Washington decided not 
to do this until he had first tried his own hand at treaty 
making with the Indians. He went about it wisely and 
cautiously. He sent to Georgia Colonel Marius Wlllett, 
of New York, as a secret and confidential agent to nego- 
tiate with the Creek Nation ; that is, with Alexander 
^IcGillivray. 

Colonel Willett reached Georgia and proceeded di- 
rectly to McGillivray's country home, "Little Tallassee," 
on the Coosa River, where he had a long confidential 
conference with the great chief. McGillivray was a 
sensible man, and he knew that the time had now come 
when he must make and keep a treaty with the whites. 
He preferred to make it with the United States rather 
than with Georgia, becaused he believed that the United 
States would be more liberal with him. He agreed to 
go to New York (which was then the capital of the 
United States), accompanied by the principal Indian 
chiefs, to meet the great George Washington face to 
face, and to settle with him all difficulties between the 
Creek Nation and Georgia. 



220 



Georgia History Stories. 



It took some time to get the delegation for New 
York together. At length, however, it was accom- 
plished. The party consisted of IMcGillivray, twenty- 
three Indian chiefs, six attendants, three servants, one 
interpreter, and Colonel Willett — thirty-five persons all 
told. On the 9th day of June, 1790, they assembled at 




Frojii ail engraving of 1841. 

Stone or Rock Mountain. 

Stone Mountain, in DeKalb County, and started imme- 
diately on their long overland journey to New York. 
They traveled in wagons and on horseback. McGil- 
livray was on horseback and Colonel Willett rode in a 
single-seated buggy, called a sulky. As they traveled 
through South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, 
Pennsylvania and New Jersey, they excited everywhere 



Alexander McGiUivray. 221 

the greatest interest and curiosity. In the larger towns 
they were received with much honor and were hospit- 
ably entertained. 

At Guilford Court House, North Carolina, a pa- 
thetic incident occurred. IMcGillivray was standing in 
the court house surrounded by a throng of ladies and 
gentlemen who had called to pay their respects. Sud- 
denly a woman came rushing through the assembly, 
and, grasping McGiUivray by both hands, burst into 
a flood of tears and poured forth a profuse and 
eloquent speech of gratitude and thanks, ending 
by exclaiming with great feeling, "God bless you! 
God bless you, forez'er!" The woman was a Mrs. 
Brown, whose husband, several years before, had been 
murdered by the Creek Indians in Georgia, after which 
she and her children had been captured and made slaves. 
McGiUivray, hearing of their sad condition, had paid 
their ransom from his own pocket and thus redeemed 
them from slavery. For a year he had maintained them 
at his own home, and then sent them to their friends in 
North Carolina. Since her liberation this was the first 
time Mrs. Brown had seen McGiUivray, and for this 
meeting she had traveled many miles through the coun- 
try. The kindness which McGiUivray had shown to 
Mrs. Brown was only one of the many instances in 



222 Georgia History Stories. 

which he had paid heavy ransoms to the Indians for 
the sake of captive women and children. 

McGihivray's party reached New York City at noon 
on Tuesday, July 20th, 1790, and were received with 
great splendor by the Tammany Society (which has since 
l)ecome so famous) in the full regalia of their order, 
and were conducted with much pomp and parade to the 
President's house, where they were introduced to 
George Washington and the members of his Cabinet. 
They then repaired to the City Tavern, where an elegant 
entertainment closed the day. Practically all the people 
of New York came out from their houses to see Mc- 
Gillivray and the Creek chiefs, for they were the most 
imposing Indian delegation that had ever visited the 
national capital. 

The treaty making proved to be a slow process. 
Washington had several long conferences with McGil- 
livray, whom he found to be a man of great ability and 
force of character. McGillivray agreed to surrender to 
Georgia absolutely and without pay the long and rich 
strip of country lying between the Oconee and the Ogee- 
chee rivers and extending clear up to the mountains; 
but he firmly refused to give up the ''Tallassee coun- 
try," between the Altamaha and the St. IMary's, which 
the whites claimed on account of the so-called Treaty 



Alexander McGillivray. 223 

of Galphinton. He agreed to pledge the firm alle- 
giance of the whole Creek Nation to the United States, 
and in return required that the United States should pro- 
tect the Creeks in the peaceful possession of all their 
lands lying west of the Oconee River. He also had 
himself made an American brigadier-general with full 
pay. On these terms the treaty was made. It was 
drawn up in writing, and on the 6th of August, 1790, 
was formally signed by General Knox, Secretary of 
War, acting as commissioner for the United States, and 
by Alexander McGilliyray and the twenty-three chiefs 
acting for the whole Creek Nation. The next day it was 
duly confirmed by Congress, and the deed was done ! 

In making this treaty ^IcGillivray had deliberately 
violated his solemn treaty with Spain, by which, in all 
good faith, he was still bound. At this very time he 
was holding the commission and drawing the pay of a 
colonel in the Spanish army. He knew that, as things 
had turned out, it would be to the interests of the 
Creeks to put themselves under the protection of the 
United States rather than Spain; so without a scruple 
he broke faith with Spain and transferred his allegiance 
to the United States. 

The Treaty Delegation returned to Georgia by water, 
sailing from New York in a specially chartered ship and 



224 Georgia History Stories. 

landing in Georgia at the mouth of the St. Mary's 
River, in the beautiful 'Tallassee country," which had 
been saved to the Indians by the masterful diplomacy 
of their supreme chief, Alexander McGillivray. 

Undoubtedly this famous Treaty of New York was 
good, wise and fair to both parties, but it pleased 
neither the Creeks nor the Georgians. The Creeks com- 
plained of it bitterly because it forced them to surren- 
der the extensive and rich region between the Ogeechee 
and the Oconee, for which they had been so long con- 
tending. The Georgians protested against it violently 
because it compelled them to give back to the Indians 
the "Tallassee country," which had been yielded to the 
whites at the Treaty of Galphinton. 

In making this Treaty of New York the United 
States had deliberately annulled the Treaty of Gal- 
phinton made by Georgia. Georgia contended that the 
United States had no right so to do. Thus arose the 
first assertion under the new Constitution of the "State 
Sovereignty," or "States' Rights," for which the South 
always contended. For a while Georgia and the United 
States Government quarreled bitterly over the matter. 
Furthermore, by this Treaty of New York both the 
Creek Nation and the United States were placed in 
awkward and unpleasant relations with Spain ; and, on 



Alexander McGUlivray. 225 

the whole, it looked as if the two great chiefs, Alexan- 
der McGillivray and George Washington, instead of re- 
moving troubles, had only added to them, for their 
agreement gave rise to several years of wrangling and 
one or two "Indian Wars." However, through the 
wise, cautious policy of George Washington, the 
troubles were gradually adjusted, and in the year 1796, 
several years after McGillivray was dead, commission- 
ers representing Georgia, the United States and the 
Creek Indians met in South Georgia at a little place 
called Coleraine (now vanished), and made a treaty 
confirming in every particular the Treaty of New York. 
This Treaty of Coleraine put an end to the Indian 
troubles, and for a long time thereafter there was peace 
between the white man and the red man in our beloved 
State. In the mean time poor Spain had become so in- 
volved in European disturbances that she required all 
of her strength and resources at home. She was finally 
compelled to lose sight of her claims to any part of 
North America, and eventually sold Florida (1819). 

V. WILLIAM AUGUSTUS BOWLES. 

After the Treaty of New York, McGillivray rapidly 
lost favor with the Indians. There was in Georgia at 
that time a notorious adventurer by the name of Will- 
iam Augustus Bowles, who proved to be McGillivray's 



226 



Georgia History Stories. 



evil genius. Bowles was a prince of scoundrels. He 
was born in Maryland in 1763. His family were 
Loyalists, or Tories; and during the Revolutionary 
War, William Augustus joined the British army at the 
early age of sixteen years. Though but a boy, he was 




William Augustus Bowles. 



given the commission of ensign. In less than a year, 
while his regiment was stationed in Pensacola, Florida, 
he was expelled from the army for some disgraceful 
conduct. He bundled up his uniform with bitter curses 
and threw it into the sea. He then joined a party of 



Alexander MeGiUivray. 227 

Creek Indians who happened to be in Pensacola at 
the time, and returned with them to Georgia. There 
he Hved for some time among the savages, learned to 
speak their language fluently, and married the daughter 
of a chief. Later he rejoined the British army and so 
distinguished himself that his old commission of ensign 
was given back to him, and the "stain on his escutcheon" 
was supposed to be wiped out. 

After the war was over he joined a theatrical com- 
pany and went to the Bahama Islands, where he made 
quite a reputation as a comic actor and portrait painter, 
for he possessed marvelous versatility of talent. In the 
year 1789 he abandoned the stage and became a law- 
less Indian trader. By his shrewdness and boldness 
he managed to smuggle cargo after cargo of "contra- 
band" goods through the Spanish dominions of Florida 
and into Georgia, where he sold them to the Creek Indians 
at enormous profits. The Spanish Government offered a 
reward of seven thousand dollars for his capture, and pur- 
suers got so hot on his trail that he abandoned the smug- 
gling business and went back to live among the Creek 
Indians in Georgia. He settled on the Chattahoochee 
River, where he was at once made chief of one of 
the Indian tribes, and he rapidly acquired great influ- 
ence with the savages. ]\IcGillivray, hearing of him 



228 Georgia History Stories. 

and knowing his character, threatened to arrest him 
and cut off his ears if he did not leave the Creek 
Nation in twenty-four hours. Bowles, knowing that 
McGillivray would carry out his threat, left imme- 
diately and went again to the Bahama Islands, where 
he was soon followed by a number of Creek and 
Cherokee chiefs, who idolized him. 

By his personal magnetism (for, like most success- 
ful scoundrels, he was a man of attractive personality) 
he won the favor and confidence of Lord Dunmore, 
the English governor of the Bahamas; and Dunmore 
gave him a strong letter of recommendation to the 
leaders of the British Government in London. Bowles, 
accompanied by his Creeks and Cherokees, took ship 
and sailed for London, where, with his painted sav- 
ages, he appeared before the leaders of the Govern- 
ment, and made them a speech like this : "I come as 
the ambassador of the united nations of the Creeks 
and Cherokees. These great Indian nations are anx- 
ious to break with Spain and the United States and 
to renew their old allegiance to England, if she will aid 
them in their enterprise. I am authorized to make you 
this offer by ^ the unanimous voice of twenty thousand 
warriors, ready to hazard their lives at the command 
of myself, their beloved brother and supreme chief!" 



Alexander McGiUkray. 229 

Of course, there was no truth in the statement, but 
Bowles was a great liar, and by his personal magnet- 
ism he usually got his lies believed ; but fortunately 
some of the leaders were clear-headed enough to see 
that he was a humbug, so he was very politely but 
firmly turned down and dismissed. Nevertheless, he and 
his Indians received a great ovation and many rich pres- 
ents from the people of London. 

Having failed in his schemes, he returned to the 
Bahamas. With the money that he had made from his 
smuggling trade he bought a strong, swift-sailing little 
ship, which he armed with four cannon and manned 
with an Indian crew trained by himself in the art of 
navigation. Thus equipped he entered boldly on the 
career of a pirate. He went to Apalachicola Bay, 
Florida, where for a year he played havoc with the 
Spanish merchant ships, destroying many of them and 
securing an immense booty. Again Spain offered a big 
reward for his capture ; so, finding that he was about 
to be taken and hanged, he sold his ship and returned 
once more to his beloved Creeks in Georgia. The 
Indians made a greater hero of him than ever, and he 
rapidly acquired a powerful ascendency over them. 
They dubbed him "General," and declared him com- 
mander-in-chief of all the armies of the Creek Nation. 



230 G cor ilia History Stories. 



Bowles saw that now was his opportunity to be 
avenged on McGilhvray, who had threatened to cut 
ofif his ears. That chieftain had just made his wise but 
unpopular Treaty of New York. Bowles poisoned the 
minds of the Indians against him, and made them be- 
lieve that he was a traitor and had sold them first to 
Spain and then to the United States, all for his own 
selfish gain. Unfortunately there was some truth, or 
at least semblance of truth, in these charges. The In- 
dians believed Bowles's accusations. They turned against 
their great chieftain, whom they had idolized for so 
many years, and he rapidly fell into disfavor. 

Poor McGillivray seems not to have had much cour- 
age or "backbone" ; for he gave w^ay without a strug- 
gle before the strong tide of unpopularity, and, aban- 
doning the Indians and Indian affairs, left the field to 
Bowles, and spent the two remaining years of his 
life in looking after his commercial interests. 

As for Bowles, he continued to work his rascally 
schemes in Georgia and Florida for several years, and 
became an intolerable annoyance both to Spain and the 
United States. Spain, now for the third time, offered 
a big reward for his capture, but for a long time no 
one could lay hands on him. Finally, how^ever, some 
Indians set a trap for him, and caught him for the sake 



Alexander McGillivray. 231 

of the rich reward offered. While they were on their 
way to Florida, they camped in the woods one night, 
setting a guard over their prisoner. During the night 
the guard fell asleep, and Bowles gnawed apart the rope 
that bound him and made his escape. The astonished 
Indians awoke and found him gone. They soon got 
track of him, however, and after a long pursuit caught 
him nearly starved to death in a swamp. The Spanish 
Government sent him to Havana, Cuba, and threw him 
into the dungeon of Morro Castle, where, after languish- 
ing a few years, he died. 

VI. PASSING OF McGILLIVRAY. 

Alexander McGillivray, while possessing some 
noble traits of character, was crafty, scheming and 
avaricious. We have seen his double-dealing in poli- 
tics, but we should not judge him too harshly on this 
account ; for he was protecting a wxak people against a 
strong, and in such cases cunning and deceit are some- 
times the only weapons that avail. He loved money, 
and his methods of obtaining it were not entirely above 
reproach. He managed always to get well paid by 
one or another of the great governments of the world 
for his influence over the Indians. He was first a 
British colonel, then a Spanish colonel, and finally an 
American brigadier-general, getting in each instance a 



232 Georgia History Stories. 

high salary. By his shrewdness he succeeded in se- 
curing these offices. He entered into partnership with 
a Scotch merchant by the name of Panton, and, in a 
way that was not altogether honorable, he used his 
position as head of the Creek Nation to further his 
commercial interests. He was undoubtedly true to the 
Indians, but not in a pure and unselfish way like old 
Tomo-chi-chi. While serving the cause of his op- 
pressed people with sincere and deep devotion, he 
managed also, in an incidental way, to enrich himself. 
When he died he owned a number of slaves and two 
well-stocked plantations in Georgia, one in Cherokee 
County and one on Little River, in Putnam County. 

That he was a man of very high order of ability 
there can be no doubt. He was a born leader of men. 
For many years by sheer force of intellect and charac- 
ter he held a great nation of fickle, unstable savages, 
scattered over a vast region of country, absolutely 
obedient to his will. No other man ever succeeded in 
so governing the Indian race. 

He was a great diplomat. For years he baffled the 
utmost efforts of the statesmen of Georgia and the 
United States to make terms with the Creek Indians. 
In the fine game of politics he played off Spain, the 
United States, and Georgia against one another. He 



Alexander McGillivray. 233 

induced the Federal Government to abrogate a treaty 
made by Georgia, thus causing the first ''State Sover- 
eignty" quarrel that ever arose in the United States. 

He was a strong, vigorous writer. His classical 
education gave him a fine command of language. His 
political letters are said by competent critics to be 
among the ablest documents to be found in the huge 
volumes of ''American State Papers." He impressed 
every one who met him personally as a man of rare 
intellect and of great force and dignity of character. 
He had a large head, expanded above the ears, with a 
broad and lofty forehead."^ 

He seems to have possessed but little courage, 
either physical or moral. Though for years a promoter 
and instigator of war, he was never in a battle. This 
does not necessarily imply cowardice ; but if he had 
possessed the fighting instinct in any degree, he would 
scarcely have been so careful to keep away from the 
smell of gunpowder. If he had been a warrior or a 
man who was ready to fight, he would not have allowed 
himself to be so completely displaced by that brazen- 
faced adventurer, Bowles. 



* For a masterful sketch of this remarkable man and the Oconee War 
the reader is referred to Absalom H. Chappell's little volume, "Miscellanies 
of Georgia," where these and a number of other subjects in our State his- 
tory are treated with classic beauty. 



234 Georgia History Stories. 

His last clays on earth were passed under a cloud. 
He had fallen into disfavor with his own people, whom 
he had served so long, so faithfully and so well ; Spain 
regarded him as a time server and turncoat, and even 
the United States had begun to mistrust him. He had 
been in bad health for more than a year ; and while on 
a visit to his Scotch friend and business partner, Pan- 
ton, at Pensacola, he died, in February, 1793. The 
Spanish Catholic priest at Pensacola, out of spite per- 
haps, refused him Christian burial ; but his funeral was 
attended with imposing civic and Masonic ceremonies. 
He was laid to rest in the beautiful flower garden of 
his friend. Thus the great chieftain of the Creeks 
was buried in the sands of the Seminoles ; and there 
to-day his bones lie in an unmarked and unknown grave, 
while his very name (once "a name to conjure with") 
has passed almost into oblivion. 

When the Creek Indians heard of his death, their 
old love for him came back in full force, and from all 
their forest homes throughout Georgia and Alabama 
there went up a mighty wail and lamentation, and many 
savage ceremonies and funeral rites were performed in 
honor of Alexander McGillivray, son of the beautiful 
Sehoy, of the Tribe of the Wind of the great Creek 
Nation. 



CHAPTER XVI. 
THE YAZOO FRAUD. 

I. THE YAZOO COUNTRY AND THE SPECULATORS. 

Take a map of the Southern States or of the United 
States and find where the Yazoo River empties into 
the Mississippi. From this point draw a Hne due east- 
ward until it strikes the Chattahoochee River about 
where the town of West Point (Ga.) now stands. Many 
years ago this Hne was known as the ''Yazoo Line," 
and the region above and below it, for an indefinite 
distance, was known as the ''Yazoo Country." This 
region, like all the rest of what is now Alabama and 
Mississippi, was claimed by Georgia. The part below 
the line was claimed also by Spain, and for many years 
the ownership was in dispute between the two coun- 
tries. This immense region was. at that time one vast 
wilderness, inhabited only by scattered tribes of In- 
dians, but the lands were among the richest and most 
desirable on the American Continent. 

At that time, soon after the Revolutionary War, 
there prevailed throughout the United States a sort of 
mania for speculating in "wild lands," as the extensive 
unusued territory of the different States was called. 

235 



236 Georgia History Stories. 

In the year 1789 a combination of speculators from sev- 
eral different States in the Union tried to buy the 
Yazoo Country, or a large section of it, from Georgia. 
Owing to Spain's counter claim to this region, 
Georgia's title to it was in doubt, and therefore the 
commercial value of the lands was greatly depreciated. 
The speculators offered a half-cent an acre for five mil- 
lion acres, agreeing, of course, to take all the risk of 
Georgia's doubtful title. Georgia was at that time 
sorely in need of money to pay oflf her Revolutionary 
soldiers, who were clamoring strongly for their wages, 
long past due. So the State Legislature, by a unanimous 
vote, agreed to sell to the speculators five million acres of 
the Yazoo Country for two hundred thousand dollars. 

But before the sale was consummated, President 
Washington issued a proclamation declaring it to be 
illegal and unconstitutional ; because, in the first place, 
negotiations were now going on between Spain and the 
United States in regard to the ownership of this region, 
and during the negotiations, of course, neither party had 
a right to sell the lands ; and because, in the second place, 
according to the Federal Constitution no state could sell 
or occupy its wild lands until the Indian claims thereto 
had been ''extinguished" by the United States Government 
by fair and legal treaty, and this had not yet been done 



The Yaf:oo Fraud. 237 

in regard to the Yazoo Country. So Georgia's sale to 
the speculators was declared void, and was not carried 
into effect. This transaction was but the preliminary 
to the famous "Yazoo Fraud." 

II. "the yazooists." 

In 1793 a new and powerful combination of specu- 
lators was organized for the purpose of buying the 
Yazoo Country from Georgia. It was composed of 
men from nearly every State in the Union. They were 
formed into several different "companies," but practi- 
cally they were united into one mighty combination, act- 
ing together under one leadership. They offered to pay 
Georgia in cash about one and a half cents an acre 
for twenty million acres of the Yazoo Country. The 
Legislature of 1793 rejected their proposition by an al- 
most unanimous vote. Bitterly disappointed, but nothing 
daunted by this rebuff, the Yazooists, as this cohort of 
speculators came to be called, determined to try again. 
They knew perfectly well now that they could not buy 
the lands by fair and open means ; but, being unscrupu- 
lous men, they were willing to resort to unprincipled 
methods to accomplish their purpose. 

The leader and business manager of the whole 
scheme was a James Gunn, or General Gunn, as he was 
commonly called. He was a man exactly suited to the 



238 



Georgia History Stones. 



base purposes of the Yazooists. He came to Georgia 
from Virginia towards the latter part of the Revoki- 
tionary War, as captain of a company in General Na- 
thaniel Greene's army. Soon after reaching Georgia, 
General Greene reprimanded him severely for some dis- 
honest and disgrace- 



ful conduct. When the 
war ended, he settled 
in Georgia. He was 
guilty of a number 
of disreputable acts 
that should have dis- 
graced him. He was 
a coarse, brutal, blus- 
tering fellow, utterly 
unprincipled, but very 
shrewd and full of en- 
ergy, and possessing in a high degree the ''gift of gab." 
He managed, as bad men frequently do, to make himself 
exceedingly popular with the masses of the people, and 
even acquired great influence over many of the leading 
men of the State. Undeserved honors were heaped upon 
him, and he was made a brigadier-general in the State 
militia. Finally he was elected to the exalted station of 
United States Senator from Georgia. 




After a unniaturc on iiory. 

General Nathaniel Greene 



The Yazoo Fraud. 239 

Immediately after their failure with the Legisla- 
ture of 1793 the Yazooists set about strengthening 
themselves for another " effort. Their first step was to 
enlist the interest of leading men of Georgia in their 
enterprise. The wily Gunn and his assistants moved 
quietly over the State, trying to induce prominent and 
influential people to ''take stock" in their rascally 
scheme. In this they met with great success. Here 
seemed an opportunity to make a fortune at one easy 
stroke! A number of men who were of high standing 
and who had always had reputation for uprightness 
and integrity fell before the temptation, for nothing 
so blinds the conscience as lust for gold. The 
scheme now had the ''moral backing" of many of the 
most reputable and influential men in Georgia, which 
was a great point gained for the Yazooists. The 
Yazooists tried also to influence the elections in nearly 
every county in the State, securing as representatives 
to the Legislature, as far as they could, men who they 
believed could be bribed; for already they saw that 
bribery must play a very important part in their game. 

One of the most energetic and most corrupt of the 
Yazooists was Judge Henry Wilson, of Pennsylvania, 
one of the most distinguished men in America. Few 
men stood higher in the esteem of the people or had 



240 Georgia History Stories. 

been more greatly honored. He was one of the sign- 
ers of the Declaration of Independence, had been a 
member of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and 
for many years a leading member of the Congress, and 
at this very time occupied the exalted position of As- 
sociate Judge of the Supreme Court of the United 
States ; but he had become a greedy land speculator 
and had lost all sense of honor. From the beginning 
he was most active in this Yazoo business, for he was 
a very large owner of its stock. It was his brain mainly 
that planned the operations of the company, though 
their practical execution was left chiefly to James Gunn. 

As has already been stated, Georgia's title to the 
Yazoo region was clouded by Spain's counter claim, 
which greatly depreciated the commercial value of the 
lands ; and that is why the Yazooists thought they could 
buy them at so small a price as a cent and a half an 
acre. In the summer of 1794 James Gunn, from his 
place in the United States Senate in Washington, wrote 
to the leading Yazooists in Georgia and in other states 
a stirring letter like this (we do not pretend to give 
the words, for the letter was never published) : — 

"I have secret but perfectly reliable information 
that Spain will before long conclude a treaty with the 
United States, by which the Yazoo region will be the 



The Yazoo Fraud. 241 

property of Georgia. Of course, these lands will at 
once enhance enormously in value. Hence it is a mat- 
ter of vital importance to make the purchase before the 
people of Georgia know about the treaty with Spain. 
Now is the time to strike. Be prepared to make the 
purchase and close the transaction immediately on the 
meeting of the next Legislature. Be supplied with 
plenty of money to use on the members. Remember, 
'Every man has his price !' " 

III. PASSAGE OF THE YAZOO ACT. 

On the 1st of January, 1795, the Georgia Legisla- 
ture met at Augusta, which was then the capital. James 
Gunn and a choice gang of conspirators were pres- 
ent. They were supplied with $25,000 in cash and 
a great quantity of Yazoo "land shares" to be used in 
buying votes for the Yazoo sale. Every member was 
approached and "sounded," and those that were corrupt 
enough were bribed to vote for the sale. The price of- 
fered was five hundred thousand dollars for twenty-five 
million acres of land, or two cents an acre. The price was 
ridiculously small. By waiting two or three years the 
State could easily sell the lands at from ten to twenty 
times as much. Besides, there were at that time other 
strong reasons why they should not self this vast territory. 

The Georgia Legislature was then a small body, 



242 Georgia History Stories. 

consisting of scarcely more than fifty men, Senators and 
Representatives all told. At length, on February 7th, 
1795, after a long discussion, the infamous Yazoo Act 
came to a vote. It was passed by the House of Repre- 
sentatives by a vote of nineteen to nine and by the Senate 
by a vote of ten to nine. It was afterwards proved that 
every man that voted for the act (except one, Mr. Robert 
Watkins) owned large shares of the stock of the Yazoo 
Land Company — proof positive that "undue influence," 
or, in other words, bribery, had been used to obtain 
their votes. 

But before the Act could become a law, it had to 
be signed by the Governor of the State. By refusing to 
sign it he could defeat the whole project. The Gover- 
nor at that time was Mr. George Mathews, a brave, 
rough old soldier, who had been a great hero in the 
Revolutionary War. He was an honest man, but weak 
both in understanding and in character. It was well 
known that in his heart he was opposed to the Yazoo 
Act, but he had not the moral strength to stand by his 
convictions. He was overawed by the great number 
of prominent and influential people in the State who 
were strongly in favor of the Act, and in an evil 
moment he signed the document. The deed was done! 
A foul blot was placed on Georgia's escutcheon. 



The Yazoo Fraud. 243 

Georgia's legislators had sold their birthright of honor 
for a mess of pottage! 

It is the strangest instance of the wholesale corrup- 
tion of public officials in American history. For these 
men were no worse, but rather better than the average 
man. Most of them belonged to the best families in 
Georgia, and they had hitherto maintained a pure char- 
acter and an unblemished reputation. Love of money 
and the wiles of the tempter had for the moment blinded 
their moral sense, and they stumbled and fell. 

No sooner was the sale consummated than the 
Yazooists set about realizing on their investment. They 
were fearful that when the' people of Georgia should 
find out the great fraud that had been practiced they 
would rise in indignation, have the Act repealed, and 
the lands returned to the State ; hence the speculators 
lost no time in dividing their immense territory into 
small parcels and selling them out at from five to ten 
times the price they had paid. They sent agents all over 
the United States, and even to Europe, to push the 
sales. Purchasers were found without difficulty. The 
Yazooists were doing, both literally and figuratively, ''a 
land office business," and if it had continued long every 
one of them would have made big fortunes ; but their 
prosperity was short lived, for a cloud was gather- 



244 Georgia History Stories. 

ing that was soon to burst in terrific fury on their 
doomed heads ! 

IV. JAMES JACKSON AND THE DAY OF WRATH. 

From the first this Yazoo sale had been strongly op- 
posed by several leading men of Georgia ; but in those 
days, when there were few newspapers, no railroads, no 
telegraph, and slow mails, it was very difficult to reach 
the ear of the public. The Yazooists had worked so 
secretly and rapidly that the deed was accomplished 
before the people knew what was being done. The Act 
was now passed and had become a law, and seemed ir- 
revocable. Undoubtedly it would have gone fully into 
effect without further opposition if it had not been for one 
man. That man was the brave and fiery General James 
Jackson, of whose splendid record in the Revolutionary 
War you have read in another part of this book. Jackson 
was now United States Senator from Georgia. He had 
always been a bitter opponent of the Yazoo sale. The 
speculators had secretly offered him a half-million acres 
of land without the payment of a dollar if he would use 
his powerful influence in favor of their scheme, but he 
indignantly replied : 'T have fought for the people of 
Georgia ; that land belongs to them and their children ; not 
for all the world would I defraud them of it. On the con- 
trary, I will do all in my power to thwart your scheme !" 



The Yazoo Fraud. 245 

In spite of Jackson's efforts, the Act was passed 
and made a law of Georgia ; but even then he would 
not let the matter alone. In a speech in the United 
States Senate, in the presence of James Gunn himself, 
he denounced the sale as ''a speculation of the darkest 
character and of deliberate villainy!" With fiery vehe- 
mence and determination he declared ''the infamous act 
must he repealed by the next Georgia Legislature!" He 
was not content to fulminate against the outrage from 
a distance. He resigned his place in the United States 
Senate and came back to Georgia and "bearded the lion 
in his den." He devoted his whole time to stirring up 
the people on the subject. By pen and by speech he 
exposed the deep-dyed villainy of the whole Yazoo 
transaction. He filled the columns of the only two 
newspapers in the State with able and severe articles of 
denunciation. He traveled over the State, and in 
speeches and talks fired the minds of the people. In 
pursuing this course Jackson had everything to lose and 
nothing to gain for himself. Most of the rich and influ- 
ential people of Georgia were in favor of the Yazoo 
sale, because either they themselves or members of their 
family were financially interested in the enterprise. In 
defying these powerful people and publicly charging 
them with corruption and villainy, Jackson took his 



24C Georgia History Stories. 

life in his hands, and well he knew it. History fur- 
nishes no finer example of physical and moral courage, 
nor any more splendid illustration of pure patriotism. 
The Yazooists, some of whom were desperate men, 
plainly saw that Jackson was bringing ruin and disgrace 
upon them, and the wonder is that he was not assas- 
sinated; but he seemed to "bear a charmed life," as 
often seems the case with brave and heroic souls. 

He soon had the masses of the people all over 
Georgia wrought up to a pitch of furious indignation. 
It was not merely the fact that they had been so badly 
cheated as to the price of the lands that angered the 
people, but that the State had been disgraced by 
the wholesale corruption of its prominent men and law 
makers. The very name Yazooist became a synonym 
of infamy, and the members of the Legislature who had 
voted for the Act were branded with disgrace. So in- 
censed were the people against them that their lives 
seemed to be in danger. They trembled for their per- 
sonal safety, as well they might. A number of them 
left the State until the storm would blow over, some 
of them never to return. Others skulked in hiding about 
their homes for months, afraid to show their faces in 
any public place. The member from Oglethorpe County 
came near being lynched by a furious mob of his fel- 



The Yazoo Fraud. 217 

low citizens, headed by a man with a rope in his hand ; 
but being warned by a friend he jumped from a back 
window and made his escape on horseback. The Sena- 
tor from Hancock County fled in terror into South 
Carolina, wdiere he was shot to death in his hiding- 
place by an unknown assassin. It has always been 
believed that the deed was done by some one who fol- 
lowed him from Georgia, being chosen by lot for the 
purpose by a secret organization of the enraged citi- 
zens of Hancock County. 

As to poor, weak Governor Mathews, the people 
never forgave him for signing the Act, though they 
knew he had not been bribed to do it. From the heights 
of popularity he fell into general disfavor. Wherever he 
went in Georgia, he fancied that the finger of scorn was 
pointing at him. His life was made so miserable that 
he left the State never to return. 

The arch scoundrel of them all, James Gunn, was 
too thick-skinned to mind the disgrace and ignominy 
that came upon him. With brazen effrontery he con- 
tinued to live in Georgia, and to strut before the public 
with his usual swagger and insolent airs ; but it was not 
for long, for early in the year 1801 he died, and went 
"Down to the vile earth whence he sprung 
Unwept, unhonored, and unsung!" 



248 Georgia History Stories. 

V. REPEAL OF THE YAZOO ACT. 

The only issue in the next State election was the re- 
repeal of the Yazoo Act. James Jackson was elected as 
Representative from Chatham County. To accept this 
lowly place in the political service, he had voluntarily 
given up the exalted position of United States Senator, 
simply because he knew he could thus serve the people 
better. The rich and influential people of Georgia were 
mostly, for reasons already given, opposed to the re- 
peal of the Yazoo Act, but the honest masses were 
ardently in favor of it. 

The Legislature met at the little town of Louis- 
ville, to which the capital had just been moved, in 
January, 179G. A bill was introduced declaring the 
Yazoo Act null and void : first, because it was unconsti- 
tutional ; second, because its passage had been obtained 
by fraud and bribery. The bill was passed on the ITth 
of February by a large majority of both houses of the 
Legislature and received the signature of Governor 
Erwin. Thus the infamous deed was undone, and the 
foul blot was wiped from Georgia's escutcheon ! 

To make the expunging of this disgrace from the 
archives of Georgia more impressive, a resolution was 
passed that the official record of the Yazoo Act should 
be publicly burned in the presence of the Governor, the 



The Yazoo Fraud. 249 

State House officers, and members of the Legislature. 
At high noon the Governor, the State House officers, 
and the whole Legislative body marched out of the 
Capitol in solemn order and formed in a circle around 
a pile of fat lightwood that had been placed in the mid- 
dle of the square in front of the Capitol i^uilding. The 
procession was headed by the Secretary of State, who 
bore in his hand a great roll of paper, on which was en- 
grossed the Legislative record of the Yazoo Act. He 
passed it to the President of the Senate, who looked at 
the caption to be sure that it was the right document, 
and then passed it to the Speaker of the House, who, 
after glancing at the caption, passed it in turn to the 
Clerk of the House. That officer read the caption aloud, 
so that all present might hear it and know that this 
was certainly the right paper. A man stooped down 
and was about to kindle the fire with a "flint and steel" 
(for there were no matches in those days), when he 
was stopped by an old, gray-haired preacher, a member 
of the Legislature, who, stepping forth, said in a deep, 
impressive voice : ''My fellow countrymen, the fire that 
consumes that infamous deed should be drawn directly 
from heaven!" Then, drawing a burning-glass from 
his pocket, he focused the rays of the sun on the fuel, 
which was soon kindled into a blaze. The clerk of the 



250 Georgia History Stories. 

House stepped up and threw the accursed document 
into the flames, at the same time crying out in a loud 
voice, ''God save the State and preserve her rights, and 
may every attempt to injure them perish as these cor- 
rupt acts now do !" In a few seconds the notorious 
Yazoo Act had gone up in smoke and ashes. 

The story had a long, tiresome aftermath. Of 
course, the State of Georgia returned to the Yazooists 
the $500,000 that they had paid, but the innocent vic- 
tims who had bought parcels of land from these specu- 
lators before the business was stopped seemed left in 
the lurch. The State of Georgia was in no way bound 
to reimburse them, and it seems there was no law by 
which the Yazooists could be compelled to do so. In 
the year 1802 Georgia ceded to the United States the 
whole Yazoo region, along with the rest of lands 
which are now Alabama and Mississippi. After many 
suits in the Supreme Court, petitions to Congress, et 
cetera, the United States, by act of Congress, finally re- 
turned to the said innocent victims the amount of money 
that they had paid to the speculators for the baleful Yazoo 
lands. It was about 1815 before the last of these claims 
were adjusted, and it was years later than that before 
the echoes of the great Yazoo Fraud* died out in Georgia. 

*See masterful account in Absalom H. Chappell's "Miscellanies of 
Georgia." 



CHAPTER XVII. 
TROUP AND THE TREATY. 

I. STATUS OF INDIAN AFFAIRS IN GEORGIA IN 1823. 

By the old grant from England, Georgia claimed all 
the country lying between the Savannah River and the 
Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Mississippi River 
on the west. This included not only the present State 
of Georgia, but also that region which is now included 
in Alabama and Mississippi. After the Revolutionary 
War, Georgia realized that this immense region was far 
more than she could use to any profitable purpose; so 
in the year 1802 she ceded to the United States all 
of the country lying between the Chattahoochee and 
Mississippi rivers, including the present states of Ala- 
bama and Mississippi. She retained for herself only 
the State of Georgia precisely as it stands to-day. Thus 
by one act of her Legislature, Georgia was cut down 
to one-third her original size. 

The terms of the cession to the United States were 
as follows : First : The United States was to pay 
Georgia $1,250,000 in cash. Second: The United 
States was, for the benefit of Georgia, to extinguish, 
at the expense of the Federal Government, all Indian 

251 



252 Georgia History Stories. 

titles to lands in Georgia. This meant simply that the 
United States was to purchase from the Indians, from 
time to time, as opportunity offered, by fair and 
legal treaty, their Georgia lands and turn them over 
to the State. In accordance with this provision, the 
United States did within the next fifteen or twenty 
years extinguish the Indian titles to large areas of land 
in middle and southeast Georgia, pushing the red man 
further and further to the west. 

In 1733, when Oglethorpe landed at Savannah, the 
Indians possessed and occupied the whole of what is 
the present State of Georgia ; but the resistless hand 
of the white man pushed them back, back, until in the 
year 1822 they were confined to a comparatively nar- 
row belt in the extreme western part of the State. 
The long strip between the Flint and the Chattahoochee 
rivers was occupied by the Creeks, and the extreme 
northwest corner of the State was held by the 
Cherokees. 

For several years the white man, with his insatia- 
ble land greed, had been looking with longing eyes on 
this rich and desirable western belt. Throughout the 
State the feeling was very strong that the Indians 
should be required to give up all of their remaining 
Georgia lands to the whites and move away to the Far 



Troup and the Treaty. 253 

West to a reservation to be set aside for them by the 
United States. On the other hand, the feeUng among 
the Indians was equally as strong not to budge another 
inch nor cede nor . sell another foot of ground to the 
whites on any terms. Among the Cherokees in north- 
west Georgia this feeling was specially strong and 
absolutely unanimous. The Creeks were somewhat 
divided on the subject. They were the most numerous, 
most powerful, and most warlike of all the southern 
Indian nations. In 1822 comparatively few of them 
lived in Georgia, not more perhaps than seven or eight 
thousand all told, occupying the western belt, between 
the Flint and the Chattahoochee rivers, as mentioned 
above. The great mass of the nation lived in Alabama. 
The Georgia Creeks (or Lower Creeks, as they 
were generally called) were under the leadership of an 
able and powerful half-breed chief by the name of 
William Mcintosh. His father was a Scotchman and 
a colonel in the British army. His mother was a full- 
blooded Creek Indian. He was an intelligent, well 
educated man of sound judgment and excellent practi- 
cal sense. He sincerely believed that it would be best 
for his people to yield their Georgia lands to the whites 
and to move beyond the Mississippi to a reservation 
set aside for them bv the United States Government. 



254 



Georgia History Stories. 



Bv his dominating influence he brought most of the 
Georgia or Lower Creeks to agree with him on this 
subject ; but the Alabama or Upper Creeks, under the 
leadership of their two principal chiefs. Big Warrior 
and Little Prince, were strongly opposed to the move- 
ment. There existed among the Creeks at this time a 
law of recent origin tliat no tribe, or part of the Creek 

Nation, should be al- 
lowed to cede or sell to 
the whites any part of 
the Creek lands without 
the consent of the whole 
Creek Nation, through 
their chiefs in grand 
council assembled. Such 
a council was called to 
meet at Broken Arrow, 
Alabama, early in 1824, 
with a view to getting 
the nation to consent to 
the Georgia Creeks* ced- 
mg their lands to the 
whites and moving to a 
reservation beyond the 
William Mcintosh. Mississippi. Mcintosh 




Troup aiid flic Treaty. 255 

was present, and urged the measure in a powerful speech, 
but he met with the bitter and nearly unanimous oppo- 
sition of the Alabama Creeks, so the meeting was a 
failure. 

Shortly after this grand council. Big Warrior. Lit- 
tle Prince, and a number of other hostile chiefs met at 
Pole Cat Spring, in Ala- 
bama, and, in the usual 
irregular, loose, savage 
fashion, passed a law or 
decree that any Creek 
chief who should here- 
after cede or sell to the 
whites any part of the 
Creek lands without the 

consent of the whole 

Governor George M. Troup. 
Creek Nation should be 

adjudged a traitor and put to death. This bloody de- 
cree was ever afterwards known among the Indians as 
the "Law of Pole Cat Spring." 

II. THE INDIAN SPRING TREATY. 

Such was the condition of Indian affairs in Georgia 
in 1824, when George ]\I. Troup was elected Governor 
of the State. 

Troup came of a tine old English family, and he 




256 Georgia History Stories. 

was an aristocrat in every fiber of his being, though in 
political convictions an ardent Democrat. He had been 
reared in wealth and luxury, and amid the finest social 
surroundings. He was splendidly educated, having been 
graduated with high honors from Princeton Univer- 
sity at the age of nineteen years. When he was barely 
twenty-one years old he was elected to the State Legis- 
lature from Chatham County. As soon as he had reached 
the eligible age of twenty-five years he was elected to 
the United States Congress. He had served a number 
of terms in Congress with great ability and distinction. 

He was a man of fine intellect, of perfect integrity 
of character, and possessed a fiery temper and an iron 
will. A truer and purer patriot never lived in Georgia. 
In politics he was a most ardent supporter of the 
"States' Rights" or ''State Sovereignty" doctrine. 

Governor Troup was strongly in favor of clearing 
all of the Indians out of Georgia and turning the va- 
cated lands over to white settlers. In his first message 
to the State Legislature he spoke with great emphasis 
and force on this subject. He also wrote to President 
Monroe demanding that the United States Government 
proceed without delay to fulfil its obligation to ''extin- 
guish all remaining Indian titles to lands in Georgia." 
President Monroe replied, "The United States stands 



Troup and the Treaty. 257 

ready to carry out her agreement to extinguish the In- 
dian titles whenever it may be done peaceably and on 
reasonable terms, but she will not use force or compul- 
sion to dispossess the Indians of their lands." 

At the request of the Georgia Legislature, Presi- 
dent Monroe summoned, or "invited," all the chiefs of 
the Creek Nation to meet 
at Indian Spring early in 
February, 1825, to consider 
a treaty looking to the sale 
of all their remaining 
Georgia lands to the whites. 
The President appointed 
Duncan G. Campbell and 
J. Meriwether as commis- 
sioners to represent the 
United States in nego- 
tiating the treaty. The convention met at Indian Spring 
on February 8th, 1825. There were nearly four hun- 
dred chiefs and head men present. Most of them were 
Georgia, or Lower Creeks, under the leadership of Mc- 
intosh, but there was also a considerable delegation of 
Alabama or Upper Creeks under the leadership of Big 
Warrior and Little Prince. 

A very important personage at this meeting was 




President Monroe. 



258 Georgia History Stories. 

Colonel John Crowell, United States Agent to the Creek 
Indians. He had held this position for several years, 
and, in the main, had discharged its difficult duties with 
great efficiency, though he seems not to have been a 
man of high principles. He was the bitter political 
enemy of Governor Troup. He was a shrewd man, 
and knew how to keep his own counsel ; but it was gen- 
erally known that in his heart he was opposed to the 
proposed treaty, and that for weeks he had been secretly 
using his influence with the Indians to prevent its con- 
summation. On this account Governor Troup had 
written to the President of the United States request- 
ing that Crowell be discharged from office and that 
some one else be appointed in his place ; but the Presi- 
dent refused to grant the request. At the Indian Spring 
meeting Crowell deported himself very quietly ; but he 
was a wily fellow, and it was strongly suspected that in 
an underhand way he was doing all in his power to stir 
the Indians to oppose the treaty. 

On the afternoon of the 9th of February the com- 
missioners read to the assembled chiefs the terms of 
the treaty, which were as follows : That all Creek In- 
dians now living in Georgia should move west of the 
Mississippi River, where they would receive from the 
United States, acre for acre, the same quantity of land 



Troup and the Treaty. 259 

that they had rehnquished in Georgia — land of as good 
or better quaUty. The United States was to give them 
also $5,000,000 in money to pay for the improvements 
on their Georgia lands and to defray the expenses of 
their removal. They were to be allowed a year and a 
half to get ready for the removal, and during the time 
were to remain in peaceful possession of their Georgia 
homes and to be protected from all intrusion and molesta- 
tion on the part of the whites. 

The chiefs were instructed to sleep on the proposi- 
tion over night and be ready to give their answer the 
next morning. During the afternoon Big Warrior (his 
Indian name was Tustennugee Thlucco) gathered around 
him his adherents and all others who wished to listen 
to him and made a fiery, eloquent speech against 
the treaty. The great rock on which he stood while 
making his speech is still at Indian Spring and is 
pointed out to visitors to that popular health resort. 
During that night Big Warrior, Little Prince, and sev- 
eral other chiefs, mainly Alabama Creeks, left the con- 
vention and journeyed homeward, but they constituted 
only a very small minority of the assembly. The next 
morning all of the others, mostly Georgia Creeks, who 
were alone immediately concerned in the provisions of 
the treaty, gave their full and free consent to its terms 



260 Georgia History Stories. 

without a word of objection or a dissenting voice. The 
document was signed by Mcintosh and fifty-one other 
chiefs on the part of the Indians, by Duncan G. Camp- 
bell and James Meriwether, commissioners, on the part 
of the United States, and by John Crowell, United 
States agent, as witness for both parties. Throughout 
the proceedings Crowell had uttered no word of pro- 
test, or objection. 

The treaty was immediately forwarded to Wash- 
ington City to receive, as the law required, the approval 
and confirmation of the President and the United 
States Senate. The same mail carried a letter secretly 
written by Agent Crowell to the President urging that 
the treaty be not confirmed, and stating that it had been 
obtained by unfair and fraudulent means ; that, with 
the exception of Mcintosh and two or three others, the 
Indians who had signed it were either chiefs of low 
grade or no chiefs at all; that an enormous majority 
of the Creek Nation were opposed to it, and that it 
could not be carried out without a bloody Indian war. 
Strange to say, as if placing little confidence in their 
agent, the Federal authorities paid no attention whatever 
to this protest. The treaty was confirmed by an almost 
unanimous vote of the Senate and received the Presi- 
dent's approval and signature. 



Troup and the Treaty. 



261 



The deed was done ! The Indian titles had been 
fairly and legally extinguished, and the lands had been 
fully vested in the State of Georgia. The people of 
Georgia were delighted at the success of the Indian 
Spring conference. They supposed, of course, there 




From an old print. 

Chiefs of the Creek Nation and a Georgia Squatter. 

would be no trouble about carrying out the provisions 
of the treaty. 

III. MURDER OF McINTOSH. 

In this expectation, however, the Georgians were 
doomed to disappointment. Scarcely two weeks had 
elapsed after the treaty was ratified before reports be- 
gan coming to the Governor that the hostile Creeks 
were in an ugly mood, were holding big meetings and 
were vowing that the treaty should never be carried 
out. On the 5th of March the Governor received from 



262 Georgia History Stories. 

Chilly Mcintosh, son of Chief William Mcintosh, a 
letter like this: ''I am reliably informed that the hos- 
tiles have planned to murder my father and six other 
chiefs (naming them), who signed the treaty," et cetera. 

The Governor at once wrote to Chief Mcintosh, urg- 
ing him to absent himself from home and from the vicin- 
ity of the hostiles until proper arrangements for his pro- 
tection could be made, but Mcintosh was a brave man, 
and knew no fear. He was a very wealthy man for 
those times, for he owned two large plantations and a 
hundred negro slaves and had three wives, all full- 
blooded Indian women. He lived on one of his plan- 
tations on the banks of the Chattahoochee River, in 
what is now Carroll County. Not far away was the 
Tallapoosa Country, where dwelt the fiercest of the hos- 
tiles and his bitterest enemies. He must have known, 
or should have known, that his life was in danger, but 
he seemed to give the matter no thought. He remained 
quietly at home attending to his farming interests. 

Governor Troup was very anxious that the ceded 
lands should be surveyed as soon as possible, so that when 
the Indians should leave a year hence the white settlers 
might move in without delay. The survey would be a 
tedious process requiring a full year, and it would not 
be possible for the whites to move in until the work was 



Troup and the Treaty. 263 

completed. So the Governor wrote Mcintosh asking 
permission to begin the survey at once, guaranteeing 
that the Indians should not suffer the slightest molesta- 
tion or annoyance from the surveying parties. After 
considerable correspondence on the subject, Mcintosh, 
on the 25th day of April, wrote the Governor, on be- 
half of the chiefs who had made the treaty, giving free 
and full permission for the survey to begin immediately. 
The writing of that letter was the last official act of 
poor Mcintosh ! 

At daybreak on the morning of April 28th a party 
of one hundred and sixty carefully picked warriors of 
the hostile Creeks left the Tallapoosa Country and 
started on a mysterious expedition to Mcintosh's home" 
on the Chattahoochee River. For fifty miles they 
marched with the utmost secrecy through the thick con- 
cealing woods, avoiding roads and paths. At dusk on 
April 29th they reached the vicinity of Mcintosh's 
plantation. Creeping stealthily through the darkness 
they formed a cordon around his residence. There they 
lay concealed in the woods and bushes watching his 
house until all the lights were out ; then they drew the 
cordon closer. After midnight they crept up to the 
house and set it on fire, and as the flames leaped heaven- 
ward they uttered the blood-curdling war whoop ! Mc- 



26-i Gcor(^ia History Stories. 

Intosh, aroused from sound sleep, knew at once what it 
meant, and that he was a doomed man ; but, brave to 
the last, he determined to sell his life as dearly as pos- 
sible. Rushing to the front door he opened it and let 
out his two wives, Peggy and Susannah, and an Indian 
guest, old Toma Tustenuggee, one of the treaty sign- 
ing chiefs, to make their escape from the flames. 
Old Toma was shot dead immediately, but the women 
were spared. Mcintosh having barred and barricaded 
the door, retreated up stairs, and from the upper win- 
dows, with the four guns that he had, kept up for 
some minutes a brisk fire on the Indian fiends that were 
yelling and dancing around the flaming house, while 
the two women, with frantic screams, were imploring 
them not to burn him with the building. Forced at 
length by the smoke and heat, he started to rush out, 
pistol in hand ; but on the threshold he fell, shot down 
but not killed. Several Indians rushed up and, catch- 
ing him by the legs, dragged him out into the yard. 
While two of the demons took his scalp, a third drove 
a long knife through his heart. With a low moan he 
expired. 

Near by was an outhouse in which Chilly Alclntosh 
was sleeping. As the Indians made a dash for the 
building. Chilly jumped through the window and made 



Troup and the Treaty. 265 

his escape through the woods. During the night the 
Indians went to the home of Samuel Hawkins, another 
treaty signing chief, and a son-in-law of Mcintosh, 
who lived in the neighborhood, and killed him as 
they had Mcintosh, thus making their victims 
three in number, all treaty signers. They burned all 
the buildings on ^Iclntosh's plantation, shot down his 
horses and cattle, and took his negroes and carried 
them off. All the next day they lingered about the 
place, feasting on Mcintosh's provisions and cattle, 
rending the air with terrific war whoops, and dancing 
the war dance around Mcintosh's scalp raised aloft on 
a long pole. At dusk that evening they vanished as 
silently as they had come on the evening before, and 
returned to the Tallapoosa Country. They carried 
Mcintosh's scalp as a precious trophy with them, and 
for days through many of their towns and villages they 
displayed it on a long pole with great popular demon- 
strations of joy and satisfied revenge. The bloody "Law 
of Pole Cat Spring" had been executed in true Indian 
fashion ! 

The first that Governor Troup heard of this terrible 
occurrence was on May 2d, when Chilly Mcintosh and 
several other Indians, worn out and bedraggled, rode 
into Milledgeville on horseback and, proceeding to the 



266 Georgia History Stories. 

Governor's mansion, told him the story of the dread- 
ful tragedy. 

As the news spread through the State it produced 
intense excitement. The universal belief was that a 

bloody Indian war was 
imminent and inevitable. 
Governor Troup immedi- 
ately ordered the State 
militia to get ready to 
march at a moment's notice 
to the scene of the tragedy 
to protect the friendly In- 
dians. But the war did 
not come. The savages, 
President John Quincy Adams, having executed the sen- 
tence of their murderous law, seemed satisfied ; they set- 
tled down quietly and attempted no further outrages. 

IV. TROUP's ALTERCATION WITH MAJOR ANDREWS 
AND GENERAL GAINES. 

Governor Troup jumped at the conclusion, wrongly 
no doubt, that Agent Crowell had instigated the Indians 
to the murder of Mcintosh and his brother chiefs. He 
wrote his suspicions to President John Quincy Adams, 
who had just succeeded President Monroe, and again 
demanded Crowell's removal. The President ap- 




Troup and the Treaty. 267 

pointed Major T. P. Andrews to go to Georgia as 
special agent to make a thorough investigation of the 
charges against Crowell. About the same time he also 
ordered Major-General Edmund P. Gaines, of the 
United States army, to go to Milledgeville and offer his 
services and, if need be, the aid of the United States 
army to the Governor to suppress any outrages that 
might be attempted by the hostile Indians. 

Major Andrews reached Milledgeville in the latter 
part of May, and at once demanded of the Governor 
his charges against Crowell. The Governor wrote 
them out briefly as follows: "I charge the agent su- 
perintending the affairs of the Creek Indians with: 1st, 
Predetermined resolution to prevent the Indians, by all 
means in his power, from making any cession of their 
lands in favor of the Georgians, and this from the most 
unworthy and most unjustifiable of all motives. 2d, 
With advising and instigating the murder of Mcintosh 
and his friends." 

For some reason Major Andrews was very slow 
about beginning the investigation. Before doing so he, 
very improperly, wrote to Crowell like this: ''You are 
aware that I have been appointed by the United States 
Government to investigate the charges made against you 
by the Governor of Georgia. While the investigation 



268 Georgia History Stories. 

is going on I am compelled to suspend you from your 
office. I apologize to you for this indignity. From all 
that I have been able to learn, I am inclined to believe 
not only that you are innocent of the charges but that 
you are a wronged and persecuted man." This most 
improper letter was published in the leading newspaper 
of Milledgeville, where it met the eye of Governor 
Troup. He immediately clipped it out and sent it in 
an envelope to Major Andrews with this note : 'Tf 
the enclosed letter be authentic, you will consider all 
intercourse between yourself and this government sus- 
pended from receipt of this." He also sent a copy of 
Andrews's letter to President Adams, saying that since 
the agent of the United States had already fully pre- 
judged the case which he was sent to Georgia to in- 
vestigate, he was therefore incompetent to conduct the 
investigation fairly, and that another should be ap- 
pointed in his place. The President, however, paid no 
attention to the complaint or the suggestion. After con- 
siderable delay Andrews went into a consideration of 
the charges against Crowell. Perhaps the investigation 
was thorough and honest. It ended in a verdict com- 
pletely vindicating Crowell ; and this, Andrews reported 
to the President. Of course, Crowell was acquitted and 
was retained in his position. 



Troup and the Treaty. 



269 



About the middle of June General Gaines, in ac- 
cordance with the President's instructions, reported to 
Governor Troup at Milledgeville. Gaines was a grand 

old soldier, and had 
won great distinction in 
the War of 1812 and in 
Indian wars. Troup 
had a warm admiration 
for him, and the con- 
ference between them 
was sympathetic and 
cordial. 

Gaines and An- 
drews, after attending 
General Edmund P. Gaines. ^o the special business 

for which each had been sent to Georgia, were assigned 
by the President to the further duty of making a thorough 
inquiry into the whole state of Indian affairs in Georgia. 
Leaving Milledgeville, Gaines went into the Indian 
country on this investigating mission. Soon he wrote 
Governor Troup a long letter, the substance of which 
was this: *T find that the Indians are bitterly opposed 
to your survey of the ceded lands while they are still 
occupying them. They regard it as an Intrusion and 
molestation, and therefore a flagrant violation of the ex- 




270 Georgia History Stories. 

press terms of the treaty. You will therefore abstain 
from beginning the survey until the time stipulated in 
the treaty for the removal of the Indians has fully ex- 
pired." 

Troup replied in a strong, manly letter, assuring 
General Gaines that the same Indians who had made 
the treaty had given him full and free permission to 
begin the survey at once ; that it would not be in any 
sense an intrusion or molestation ; that this seeming op- 
position of some hostiles to it was mere bluster, and 
that they had doubtless been instigated to it by Crowell 
and other bad white men living among them. He fur- 
ther asserted that the State of Georgia had a perfect 
constitutional right to make the survey, and that the 
United States had no right whatever to interfere. 
Holding these opinions, the Governor refused to obey 
the mandate of General Gaines, and began the survey 
at once, as had 15een planned. The letter, though firm 
and positive, was couched in terms of the utmost cour- 
tesy. In reply. General Gaines wrote to Troup a long, 
weak, childish effusion, in which he berated the Gover- 
nor soundly and read him a severe moral lecture. The 
whole tone of the letter was grossly insulting. Before 
mailing the original to the Governor he sent a copy of 
it to the Milledgeville Patriot, in whose columns it ap- 



Troup and the Treaty. 271 

peared, and there Troup first saw it. Troup at once 
wrote General Gaines : "On reading your letter, pub- 
lished in the Milledgeville Patriot, I lose no time in di- 
recting you to forbear further communication with this 
government." 

General Gaines, thus cut off from direct communi- 
cation with the Governor, vented his spite by pubHshing 
open letters in the newspapers criticizing and abusing 
the Governor fearfully. In conversation on the streets 
and in public places he was also very abusive, and de- 
clared that, if the Governor persisted in carrying on the 
survey, he would be guilty of treason, for which he 
would be arrested and thrown into prison. Governor 
Troup wrote to President Adams informing him fully 
of Gaines's outrageous conduct and demanding that he 
be arrested and court-martialed. This the President re- 
fused to do, but he did adminster a rebuke to Gaines 
and warned him to be more guarded in his utterances. 

V. TROUP's CONTROVERSY WITH THE FEDERAL 
GOVERNMENT. 

Shortly after this altercation with General Gaines, 
Governor Troup received from the President of the 
United States, through the Secretary of War, a com- 
munication ordering Troup politely, but positively, not 
to begin the survey of the ceded lands until the time 



272 Georgia History Stories. 

allowed in the treaty for the Indians to leave had fully 
expired. 

Governor Troup replied to the President in a letter 
of the same tenor as that in which he had already writ- 
ten to General Gaines. Among other things, he said, in 
effect : 'T deplore extremely the unfortunate controversy 
between Georgia and the United States ; but T cannot 
consent, especially in an issue so grave as this, to com- 
promise a principle for the sake of expediency. Such 
weakness, carried to its logical conclusion, would re- 
sult in the speedy destruction of all State rights and in 
the ultimate destruction of the Union itself. The survey 
of the ceded lands will be begun in a few days." 

But before the survey was actually started, Agents 
Gaines and Andrews had sent to the Federal Govern- 
ment their full reports on the whole state of Indian 
affairs in Georgia. They were voluminous documents, 
but the gist of it all was about this : 

1st. Agent John Crowell is innocent of the charges 
against him. 

2d. The murdered Mcintosh was a traitor to his 
people. 

3d. Governor Troup never received permission from 
the Indians to survey the ceded lands before the ex- 
piration of the time allowed them to leave. 



Troup and the Treaty. 273 

4th. The Indian Spring Treaty was obtained by 
unfair and fraudulent means. It is bitterly opposed by 
forty-nine fiftieths of the Creek Nation, and it cannot 
be carried into effect without great risk of a horrible 
Indian war. 

President Adams sent a copy of these reports to 
Governor Troup, stating that he would at once enter 
into a thorough investigation as to the validity of the 
Indian Spring Treaty. Pending this investigation Gov- 
ernor Troup decided to postpone the survey ; for not 
the survey, but the much more serious matter of the 
validity of the treaty itself was now the issue. 

President Adams summoned to Washington City a 
number of leading chiefs of the hostile party of the 
Creeks, and from their evidence, taken in a secret, or 
''executive," investigation, he decided that the Indian 
Spring Treaty had been obtained by unfair and illegal 
means, and should therefore be annulled. Also, acting 
under the authority given him by the Constitution of 
the United States, he proceeded to make a new treaty 
with the thirteen Indian chiefs present in Washington. 

This new, or Washington, Treaty, did not differ 
greatly from the Indian Spring Treaty. The only points 
of diff'erence were : 

1st. By the Washington Treaty the Indians were 



274 Georgia History Stories. 

allowed two full years to leave the ceded lands instead 
of only a year and a half, as stipulated in the Indian 
Spring Treaty. 

2d. By the Washington Treaty a considerable sec- 
tion of country contained in the cession of the Indian 
Spring Treaty was given back to the Indians. 

Take a map of Georgia, draw a line from the little 
town of Roswell on the Chattahoochee River due west to 
the Alabama boundary. The triangle of country bounded 
on the north by this line, on the east and south by the 
Chattahoochee River from Roswell down to West 
Point, and on the west by the Alabama boundary line, 
indicates about the section given back to the Indians by 
the Washington Treaty. It embraces several hundred 
thousand acres of land. In April, 1826, this new or 
Washington Treaty was ratified by the United States 
Senate, and the Indian Spring Treaty was thereby an- 
nulled. 

Governor Troup was officially notified of all these 
proceedings, and in a polite communication President 
Adams said to him, in substance: ''You must not be- 
gin the survey of the ceded lands until the expiration 
of the time allowed by the new treaty; and when the 
survey is made, the lines must be run according to the 
new, or Washington, Treaty, and not according to the 



Troup and the Treaty. 275 

Indian Spring Treaty." Governor Troup, in reply, 
practically said: "The Indian Spring Treaty was per- 
fectly fair, legal and constitutional. It was approved 
and confirmed by the President and the Senate of the 
United States. From that moment, the Indian titles 
were extinguished and the lands were transferred to 
the State of Georgia, as a vested right, and henceforth 
could not possibly be under the jurisdiction of the 
United States. The Washington Treaty is unconstitu- 
tional, and therefore null and void. The Indian Spring 
Treaty is valid, and the rights of Georgia demand that 
its terms be carried out. I shall see to it that it is car- 
ried out. I shall begin the survey of the ceded lands 
at once. I shall run the lines according to the Indian 
Spring Treaty, and not according to the Washington 
Treaty: and on the 26th day of September, 1826, we 
shall begin the actual occupancy of these lands, as al- 
lowed by the Indian Spring Treaty." 

Up to this time, while a majority of the people of 
Georgia warmly approved the Governor's course, yet a 
respectable minority, composed largely of conservative, 
well-balanced men, thought that he was acting unwisely, 
and that he should yield as to the time of beginning 
the survey, rather than involve Georgia in a serious con- 
troversy with the United States; but now that the 



276 Georgia History Stories. 

United States had gone so far as to annul the treaty 
itself, well-nigh the whole people of Georgia rallied to 
Troup's support ; and the State, throughout its length 
and breadth, rang with the popular cry, 'Troup and the 
Treaty ! Troup and the Treaty !" 

True to his word, Troup at once began the survey 
of the ceded lands in the face of the President's order 
to the contrary. For a while everything went on peace- 
ably and without any disturbance from the Indians, 
while President Adams, anxious not to gO' to extremi- 
ties, quietly allowed it to proceed, but warned Troup to 
''let the lines be run according to the Washington 
Treaty and not according to the Indian Spring Treaty." 

The survey began in the southern part of the ceded 
territory and progressed northward. Everything went 
smoothly until the surveyors reached the bend in the 
Chattahoochee River where the town of West Point 
now stands, and where the stream deflects sharply to 
the northeast. From this point the surveyors should, 
according to the Washington Treaty, have proceeded 
along the east side of the Chattahoochee ; but instead 
of doing so, they continued straight northward along 
the Alabama boundary to the west of the Chattahoo- 
chee, according to the Indian Spring Treaty. Then 
the trouble began ; for the Indians, holding to the 



Troup and the Treaty. 277 

Washington Treaty, considered this as a hostile in- 
vasion of their domains. They raised a great howl and 
made violent threats. A band of them poimced down 
upon a party of surveyors, took their instruments away 
and drove them off. Little Prince and several other 
chiefs hastened to Washington City and made a furious 
protest to the United States Government, and called on 
the President for protection. President Adams ordered 
the officers of the Federal Court in Georgia to arrest 
and imprison any surveyors who should persist in in- 
vading the Indian domains, as defined by the Washing- 
ton Treaty. Governor Troup retorted by ordering the 
State Courts to liberate by legal process any persons 
that might be so arrested. But this issue between the 
Federal Court and the State Court was never brought 
to a test, for no arrests were actually made. 

VI. DECLARATION OF WAR. 

On the 16th of February, 1827, a young man, Lieu- 
tenant J. R. Vinton, of the United States Army, arrived 
in Milledgeville from Washington City. He was 
dressed in citizen's clothes, and he had come on a 
secret mission from the President of the United States 
to the Governor of Georgia. Entering the executive 
office, he introduced himself and gave his rank and 
position; then, drawing a letter from the inside pocket 



278 



Georgia History Stories. 



of his coat, he handed it to Governor Troup. It was 
a communication from the President of the United 
States, through the Secretary of War, to the Governor 
of Georgia, announcing in unmistakable terms that if 
the Georgia surveyors did not cease from invading the 
Indian domains, as defined by the Treaty of Washing- 
ton, the United States Government would use force of 

arms to protect the 
Indians in their rights. 
This was an ultima- 
tum, or tentative dec- 
laration of war. Gov- 
ernor Troup's reply 
is the most remark- 
able communication 
State House at Milledgeville. ^^^j. ^^^^ j^y ^^^ Qq^_ 

ernor of a State to the President of the United States. 
While preserving perfectly the form of official courtesy, 
it was full of spirit, fire, and bold defiance, saying, 
among other things : 'T give your threat the defiance 
that it merits. Understand distinctly that I will resist 
by force of arms to the utmost any military attack that 
the Government of the United States may make on the 
territory, the people or the sovereignty of Georgia ; and 
all the preparations necessary to the performance of this 




Troup and the Treaty. 279 

duty, according to our limited means, will be made im- 
mediately. You who are constitutionally bound to pro- 
tect us from invasion are yourselves the invaders. You 
have espoused the cause of savages against the rights 
of Georgia. From the first decisive act of hostility, you 
will be considered and treated as a public enemy. The 
argument is exhausted ; Georgia will stand by her arms." 
To show that he meant what he said, Troup immediately 
ordered the different militia generals throughout the 
State to collect arms, provide depots of supplies, and 
have their commands ready to march at a moment's 
notice to the threatened frontier to repel any attempt of 
the United States forces to invade Georgia soil. 

The controversy had now reached its crisis. 
Georgia was in open, armed rebellion against the 
United States ! Intense excitement prevailed through- 
out the State. The people, almost to a man, enthusias- 
tically approved Troup's course, and almost to a man 
perhaps they would have joined his army to fight any 
invading Federal forces. More than ever the State 
rang with the cry, "Troup and the Treaty! Troup and 
the Treaty!" A bloody civil war between Georgia and 
the United States seemed almost inevitable. 

VII. "all's well that ends well." 

Happily, however, wiser counsels prevailed in 



280 Georgia History Stories. 

Washington. President Adams and the other Federal 
authorities were extremely anxious to avoid an armed 
conflict with Georgia. Therefore they had for weeks 
been carrying on secret negotiations with the disaffected 
Indians, trying to induce them, for a moneyed consid- 
eration, to transfer to the United States for the benefit 
of Georgia the tract of country in dispute between the 
Indian Spring Treaty and the Washington Treaty. It 
now seemed, quite suddenly, that these negotiations 
would almost certainly be successful. President Adams 
wrote to Governor Troup announcing the gratifying 
fact. The news followed quickly on the heels of the 
"declaration of war," and filled Troup's heart with joy. 
His reply to the President is one of the noblest of his 
noble letters. It breathes the spirit of purest and loft- 
iest patriotism, and as a splendid expression of the 
"States' Rights" doctrine, it has never been surpassed. 
Pending the negotiations, he withdrev^ the surveyors 
from the field. 

In November, 1827, it was announced that the nego- 
tiations had been completely successful. The Indians 
had agreed, for a moneyed consideration, to give up 
the disputed lands to the United States for the benefit 
of Georgia, and also to make no further objection to the 
immediate prosecution of the survey. In other words, 



Troup and the Treaty. 281 

they had agreed to rescind the Washington Treaty and 
to abide by the Indian Spring Treaty in its stead! The 
ease with which this concession was obtained seems to 
show conclusively that the hostiles never were seriously 
rebellious against the Indian Spring Treaty, and that 
there would have been no real trouble about the matter 
if it had been left to Georgia, as it should have been. 
Either the United States authorities had been greatly 
misled (as Troup all along had insisted) as to the real 
temper of the Indians, or else their actions had been 
governed by sheer obstinacy and a determination to 
have their own way. 

The cause of war having now been entirely removed, 
the trouble between Georgia and the United States was 
quickly and amicably adjusted. The war cloud van- 
ished, the drawn swords were sheathed, excitement 
rapidly subsided, and soon everything was serene and 
lovely. The long and heated controversy was over, and 
"States' Rights" had come out gloriously triumphant. 
In a year or two all of the Creek Indians had moved 
from Georgia to Mississippi, and the vacated lands were 
quickly occupied by sturdy white settlers. 

It is impossible for any fair-minded person to read 
Governor Troup's correspondence with the United 
States authorities during this controversy without being 



282 Georcria History Stories. 

convinced that throughout the affair he was governed 
by no motive but the purest and most courageous pa- 
triotism, and that in the whole proceeding he was right 
and the United States was zvrong. His messages and 
letters on the subject would fill a good-sized volume. 
They are masterpieces of English. In clearness, con- 
ciseness and force of expression, and in simple, unaf- 
fected eloquence they are unequaled by the official ut- 
terances of any other governor of Georgia. 

VIII. LAST DAYS OF TROUP. 

In the fall of 1827 Troup retired from the guber- 
natorial chair, a position which he had held for two 
terms (four years). Declining a number of banquets 
and ovations with which his admiring fellow-citizens in 
different towns in Georgia were anxious to honor him, 
he withdrew at once to his elegant country home 
"Valdosta," in what is now Laurens County. His 
earnest wish was to spend the rest of his life there 
in quiet and domestic tranquillity, but he was not per- 
mitted to do so. 

One year later, in November, 1828, the Georgia Legis- 
lature, without giving him the slightest intimation of 
its intention, unanimously elected him United States 
Senator for the long term of six years. As soon as he 
heard the rumor that this would probably be done, he 



Troup and the Treaty. 283 

hastened as rapidly as possible from Laurens County to 
Milledgeville for the purpose of positively forbidding 
his nomination ; but travel was slow in those days, 
and he reached Milledgeville just two hours after 
the election. Under the circumstances he felt that 
he ought not to refuse the office that had thus been 
thrust upon him. With unfeigned reluctance he went 
to Washington City and took his place in the United 
States Senate. Owing to bad health, in the form of a 
distressing throat trouble, he was unable to take any 
prominent part in the debates and discussions. After 
serving two or three years he resigned on account of 
his health, and again withdrew to his Laurens County 
plantation, where he spent the remaining twenty-odd 
years of his Hfe in quiet retirement, though many efforts 
were made to drag him back into public life. 

In April, 1856, at the age of seventy-three years, he 
died rather suddenly of hemorrhage of the lungs while on 
a visit to his Montgomiery County plantation. He was 
buried in the family burying ground in the same county, 
and a handsome granite shaft was erected over his grave. 
Although he had been out of public life for so many 
years, the people had not forgotten him. He was still 
dear to their hearts, and all over Georgia impressive me- 



284 Georgia History Stories. 

morial services were held in his honor. Troup County 
was named for him. 

He was one of the greatest men that Georgia ever 
produced. He will go down in history as Georgia's 
doughty champion of "States' Rights." 



CHAPTER XVIII. 
GEORGIA AND THE CHEROKEES. 

I. EARLY RELATIONS. 

The dealings of the State of Georgia with the 
Cherokee Indians is a subject replete with interest for 
the student of American history. It makes a peculiar 
and unique story. It is a case without a parallel. Vol- 
umes have been written on the subject, but these books 
are now out of print and are rarely if ever read. In 
the following condensed statement of the leading facts 
in the case the author hopes that he may help to rescue 
this remarkable story from the oblivion into which it 
seems likely to fall. 

The Cherokees were a nation of Indians that had 
their homes in northern Georgia and in adjoining parts 
of Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina. 
Compared with the Creeks, the Cherokees were a weak 
people, not nearly so numerous and not so fierce and 
warlike. Their nearest town or village was two hun- 
dred miles away from Savannah and vicinity, where 
Oglethorpe planted his first colonies. On account of 
this great separating distance there was, during the 
Colonial period, little intercourse between the Cherokees 

285 



286 Georgia History Stories. 

and the whites of Georgia ; they were almost strangers 
to each other. 

During the Revokitionary War the Cherokees, like 
the Creeks, espoused the cause of the British against 
the Americans ; and in the campaigns in Georgia they 
took, under the leadership of the Tories, quite an active 
part against the Patriots. When the war was over 
they had, of course, to accept the fate of the conquered 
and submit to such terms as the victors might choose 
to impose. Accordingly, in May, 1783, at what was 
called the Treaty of Augusta, the Cherokees were re- 
quired by Georgia to cede to her quite a large tract of 
their country lying about the head waters of the Oconee 
River, in the northeastern part of the State. The tract 
included the whole or parts of what are now Franklin, 
Hart, Banks, Jackson, Hall and Madison counties. 
After this treaty, for the next thirty-five or forty years 
the Cherokees were, in the main, left alone by the 
whites of Georgia. 

During all these years Georgia was acquiring from 
the Creek Indians by a successive series of treaties (as 
will be fully shown in the next chapter) great strips of 
territory throughout middle, west, and south Georgia; 
and as each strip was obtained, it was rapidly settled up 
by the whites. This Creek country was nearly all well 



Georgia and the Cherokees. 287 

adapted to the cultivation of cotton, which was then the 
great industry, and we might say the only money- 
making industry, in Georgia ; hence these lands were 
much sought after. The people at that time cared little 
for lands that would not produce cotton. The lands of 
north Georgia were not suited to this purpose ; and that 
is why during all these years, while the Creek Indians 
were being pushed out of middle, west and south 
Georgia by the resistless hand of the white man, the 
Cherokees were left unmolested in their beautiful moun- 
tain valleys in the northern part of the State. 

From 1802 to 1823 the United States Government, 
of its own motion, and in pursuance of a general policy 
that it had adopted in regard to the Indian race, made 
repeated efforts to persuade the whole Cherokee Nation, 
not only those that lived in Georgia, but in other states, 
to remove to a rich reservation set aside for them be- 
yond the Mississippi River. They were offered liberal 
inducements to make this removal, but the efforts of the 
Government were almost entirely futile. Several hun- 
dreds did move to the West, but the bulk of the nation 
clung persistently to their Eastern homes. Those that 
lived in Georgia were especially firm in their determina- 
tion not to move. 

In the year 1819 the United States Government 



288 Georgia History Stories. 

purchased from the Cherokees, for the benefit of the 
State of Georgia, by fair and legal treaty, quite a large 
tract of country in the northeastern part of the State 
and lying adjacent to the tract that had been ceded by 
the treaty of 1783, already mentioned. The Cherokees 
now occupied only the northwestern portion of Georgia, 
embracing about one-sixth of the entire State. 

In a general way it may be said that from 1783 to 
1824 the Cherokees were unmolested by the Georgians. 

TI. CIVILIZING OF THE CHEROKEES. 

During these long years of tranquillity great changes 
were being wrought in the social and political condition 
of the Cherokees. Many white men, mostly Scotch, or 
Scotch-Irish, were accustomed as licensed Indian trad- 
ers to go to and fro in the nation plying their voca- 
tion. A number of them married dusky damsels of the 
race, the daughters of chiefs and head men, and settled 
down in the Indian country. They were shrewd fel- 
lows, with a keen eye to business. They established 
themselves on the choicest lands in the rich valleys, and 
by industry, thrift, and cunning accumulated fortunes. 
From these mixed marriages there sprang, of course, 
numerous half-breeds, . and in the next generation a 
number of these became chiefs of the principal tribes 
of the Cherokees. By sheer force of superior intellect. 



Georgia and the Cherokees. 



289 



character, and intelli- 
gence, these half-breed 
chiefs gained complete 
ascendency over the na- 
tion and exercised a 
dominating influence in 
all of its affairs. Some 
of the most noted of 
these chiefs were John 
Ross, Major Ridge, and 
his son, John Ridge, 




Major Ridge. 



Elias Boudinot, Charles Vann, George Waters, and John 
Giinter. There were also a number of others. 

These mixed-breed leaders were generally men of 
education and force of character. They were energetic 
and enterprising, and very ambitious for the elevation of 

their race. They threw 
open the Cherokee Na- 
tion to civilizing influ- 
ences. Under their en- 
couragement Christian 
missionaries, most of 
them from the Northern 
States, swarmed into the 
country and went up and 




John Ridge. 



290 Georgia History Stories. 

down in the land preaching the gospel with great zeal. 
Nearly all of the Cherokees in Georgia were converted 
to Christianity, such conversion as it was. Numerous 
churches were built and were well attended and supported. 
Schoolmasters were imported, and a number of schools 
were established. A Cherokee alphabet was invented, 
and books were printed in the language. A newspaper 
devoted entirely to the interests of the nation was pub- 
lished at the capital, New Echota. Several quite large 
towns arose in the valleys. Agriculture was pursued 
with steadiness, intelligence and success. Many of the 
half-breed chiefs and a number of white men who had 
married Indian women ("squaw-men" as they were 
called) owned large, well-conducted plantations and 
gangs of negro slaves. Indeed, nearly all of the 
wealth and practically the whole political power of the 
nation were in the hands of these two classes of men. 
On account of their wealth and comfortable homes, they 
were indeed loath to leave Georgia. The masses of the 
nation seem to have been a dull, inert, poverty-stricken 
people, living in a half-civilized state which, though 
it may have been better, was not nearly so interesting 
as out-and-out savagery. Still to a man they were de- 
votedly attached to their Georgia homes, and to a man 



Georgia and the Cherokecs. 291 

they wefe firmly resolved not to budge a peg nor to 
cede another foot of land to the whites. 

III. POLITICAL STATUS OF THE CHEROKEES. 

As the Cherokees advanced in civilization they grew 
more and more ambitious, aggressive and arrogant in 
regard to their political standing. In 1823, when Pres- 
ident IMonroe once more made an earnest effort to per- 
suade them to move west, they thus replied : "It is 
the fixed and unalterable determination of this nation 
never again to cede one foot of our land. The Chero- 
kees are not foreigners, but the original inhabitants of 
America; and they now stand on their own territory, 
and they will not recognize the sovereigntv of any 
state within the limits of their territory." You may be 
sure that this was not the language of any simple In- 
dian, but of the educated, sophisticated half-breed 
chiefs. He who runs may read the significance of the 
utterance. It was tantamount to saying: "We, the 
Cherokees, are here in Georgia to stay. We claim abso- 
lute ownership of the lands and absolute sovereignty 
within the territory which we now occupy, and we will 
brook no interference from any other power. The 
State of Georgia can exercise no sort of authority over 
us, nor has it any claim to our lands." Strange to say, 
the United States, under the administration of President 



292 Georgia History Stories. 

Monroe and afterwards of President Adams, upheld the 
Cherokees in this claim of absolute, fee simple owner- 
ship of the lands and of independent sovereignty. 
Georgia protested vigorously against it, urging that the 
State of Georgia alone had the sole right to the lands, 
and denying that the Indians had a right to refuse when 
a cession was demanded on fair and reasonable terms. 
President Monroe, speaking for the United States Gov- 
ernment, replied : "We have done our best to persuade 
the Cherokees, by the oi¥er of liberal terms, to cede 
their lands to the State of Georgia, but we have entirely 
failed to get their consent. AVe have no authority and 
are under no obligation to use force or compulsion to 
accomplish this result." Here the matter was dropped 
for two or three years. During this time the attention 
of Georgia was absorbed in acquiring from the Creek 
Indians, by the famous Treaty of Indian Spring (a 
full account of which was given in the last chapter), the 
last remaining strip of their Georgia lands. 

During these two or three years the Cherokees were 
allowed to go their own pace, and they went it in a 
gallop. In July, 1827, the Cherokees held a national 
constitutional convention at their capital, New Echota, 
situated in what is now Gordon County, near the pres- 
ent town of Calhoun. They framed and adopted an 



Georgia and the Cherokees. 293 

elaborate constitution, modeled largely after the Consti- 
tution of the United States. It asserted that the Chero- 
kee Indians constituted one of the sovereign and inde- 
pendent nations of the earth, having complete jurisdic- 
tion over its territory, to the exclusion of any other 
state. It provided for a representative system of gov- 
ernment much like that of the United States. It is 
needless to say that the making of this constitution was 
wholly the work of the educated mixed-breed chiefs. 
All arrangements were made for organizing the gov- 
ernment under this constitution and for putting its pro- 
visions into full operation. 

In November, 1827, Georgia completed her final 
deal with the Creek Indians, and the last red man of 
that great nation left the State forever and journeyed 
towards the setting sun. The only Indians now left in 
Georgia were the Cherokees, who occupied about one- 
sixth of the entire State, the most beautiful and in many 
particulars the choicest part. To these Georgia now 
turned her attention, with the full determination that 
they, too, must be required to leave the State forever 
and yield their lands to the whites. On the other hand, 
the Cherokees were, to a man, equally as determined 
not to budge a peg. 

The Cherokees' contention was : "We are an inde- 



294 Georgia History Stories. 

pendent and sovereign nation, owing neither allegiance 
nor obedience to any other power on earth. The lands 
tliat we occupy belong to us by the most absolute and 
unquestionable title known to man. We shall never 
surrender nor leave them. We are here to stay." The 
Georgians' contention was : ''The lands now held by 
the Cherokees belong solely to the State of Georgia. 
The Indians are only tenants at will ; they have been 
allowed to occupy these lands thus long only by suffer- 
ance. They must now be required to surrender these 
lands to the State of Georgia, by peaceful means if pos- 
sible, by force if necessary. The Cherokees must go." 
Plainly a battle royal between these two powers w^as 
inevitable and imminent. In the winter of 1828 Georgia 
struck the first blow, and the contest was on ! 

IV. GEORGIA AND THE CHEROKEES LOCK HORNS. 

In December, 1828, the Georgia Legislature passed 
a bill enacting that the Cherokee country should be put 
under the jurisdiction of the laws of Georgia. The act 
was passed on the ground that, as the Cherokee coun- 
try was part and parcel of the State of Georgia, it 
should be governed by the laws of Georgia. The real 
object of Georgia in passing this act was to move the 
Cherokees to leave the State, for it was supposed that 
when they were convinced that they would not be 



Georgia and the Cherokecs. 295 

allowed self-government in Georgia, they would be 
much more willing to cede their lands to the whites and 
move away. In order to give them plenty of time to 
make up their minds to do this, the Act was not to go 
into effect until June 1, 1830. 

Of course, the effect of this Act was to abolish the 
Cherokee government and to render null and void the 
constitution that the nation had so recently made. The 
Qierokees felt deeply outraged at the Act, the purpose 
of which was to destroy their government, to snuff out 
their constitution like a candle, and to render their 
boasted sovereignty utterly meaningless. But instead of 
resenting the wrong in savage fashion, instead of de- 
fending their rights with the tomahawk, knife and rifle, 
as Indians are wont to do, they resorted to the more 
civilized but tamer method of appealing to the courts. 
They determined at the first opportunity to test the 
validity of the Act of the Georgia Legislature before 
the Supreme Court of the United States. They had 
good reason to feel assured that the Federal tribunal 
would decide the case in their favor. 

An opportunity to test the matter soon occurred. In 
the summer of 1830, very soon after Georgia's obnox- 
ious act of jurisdiction had gone into effect, a half- 
breed Cherokee by the name of George Tassel com- 



296 



Georgia History Stories. 



mitted murder in the Cherokee country. He was ar- 
raigned before the Georgia State Superior Court then 
sitting in Hall County, and was duly tried, found guilty 
and sentenced to be hanged. His attorneys appealed 
the case to the United States Supreme Court, asking 
that the verdict be set aside, on the ground that the 

act of the Legislature 
giving the State of Geor- 
gia jurisdiction over the 
Cherokee country was a 
violation of the Federal 
Constitution, and was 
therefore null and void. 
The case, George Tassel 
vs. the State of Geor- 
gia, was duly entered 
Governor George M. Gilmer. on the Supreme Court 

docket. Governor Gilmer was officially notified of the 
action, and was instructed to appear before the court for 
Georgia as defendant in the case. The Governor replied 
with spirit that the United States Supreme Court had no 
jurisdiction in the case, and that the State of Georgia 
would scorn to compromise itself by appearing before that 
tribunal as defendant in the case. The Governor knew 
that it was a foregone conclusion that the court would 




Georgia and the Cherokees. 297 

decide the case against Georgia and in favor of the 
Cherokees. To prevent this he resorted to the extraor- 
dinary measure of dispatching a special messenger to 
the sheriff of Hall County, with instructions to hang 
George Tassel immediately, before his case could be 
reached on the Supreme Court docket. The Sheriff 
obeyed the order promptly, so poor George Tassel was 
precipitately hanged while his case was pending in the 
Federal Supreme Court. Thus ended the case, an end 
which, we must admit, was brought about by a rather 
high-handed measure on the part of the State of 
Georgia. Georgia's action was severely criticized in the 
halls of Congress ; it was furiously condemned by the 
Cherokees themselves, and it was violently censured by 
a large part of the people in the North. But these pro- 
tests and bowlings had no effect on Georgia, for she went 
sturdily ahead executing her laws over the Cherokee 
country. The Cherokees resented it bitterly in their 
hearts, but they used no force of arms to stop it, and 
they struck no blow from the shoulder out. They were 
determined at the first opportunity to appeal again to 
the Supreme Court of the United States. They hoped 
that that high tribunal might be the means of freeing 
them from the grasp of Georgia, and of confirming 
them in the fee simple possession of their lands. 



298 Georgia History Stories. 

V. GEORGIA AND THE GOLD DIGGERS. 

In the year 1829 gold in moderate quantities was 
discovered in the Cherokee country, especially in that 
section which is now included in Lumpkin, Gilmer and 
Union counties. As the news spread through Georgia 
and the neighboring states it caused much excitement, 
and there was an immediate rush of adventurers to the 
Cherokee country. By the summer of 1830 there were 
upwards of three thousand of these interlopers in the 
alleged gold regions. They did not find any great quan- 
tity of gold, but enough perhaps to pay them better than 
ordinary labor would have done, and the free and easy 
life was exactly to their liking. During the day they 
would dig and wash for gold after the crudest methods, 
and would spend the greater part of the night in 
drinking, carousing, gambling and fighting. In intrud- 
ing on the Indian lands without leave, license or title 
from any one, they were violating the laws of three 
governments — the law of the Cherokees, the law of the 
United States and the law of Georgia. The Cherokees 
were too weak or too spiritless to drive them away, al- 
though they must have been a sore annoyance to them ; 
the United States was too indifferent to undertake it; 
so the task was left to Georgia. Governor Gilmer, by 
instructions from the State Legislature, sent numerous 



Georgia and the Cherokees. 299 

proclamations to the intruders to leave on pain of severe 
punishment, but they gave no heed to these orders. In- 
deed, the Governor's "paper bullets," as they were 
called, got to be the subject of ridicule, not only among 
the gold di,s:gers themselves, but throughout Georgia. 
Convinced at length that he would have to use strong 
measures, the Governor braced himself manfully to the 
job. He sent into the region a company of seventy-five 
Georgia soldiers, under the command of Major Wager, 
of the United States army, with orders to oust the in- 
truders at any cost. The soldiers broke up the miners' 
camps, destroyed their implements, and escorted many 
of them at the point of the bayonet across the border 
with fierce warnings never to return. Thus, in the 
course of two or three months the lawless gangs were 
cleared out of the Indian country. It is not recorded 
that the Cherokees urged any objection to this exercise 
of Georgia's authority in their country. 

In December, 1830, the Legislature passed a law 
that no white person should reside in the Cherokee 
country without a special license from the Governor of 
Georgia. The Governor was empowered to grant such 
licenses, in his discretion, to those who would take an 
oath to support and defend the Constitution and laws of 
Georgia, and to demean themselves in all ways as loyal 



300 Georgia History Stories. 

and faithful citizens of the State. Persons violating this 
law would be guilty of a high misdemeanor, the penalty 
for which should be not less than four years' imprison- 
ment in the State Penitentiary. This law, though aimed 
primarily at the intruding gold diggers, was also in- 
tended for another class of persons very different from 
the gold seekers. These were the Christian mission- 
aries, who for a number of years had been preaching 
the gospel to the Cherokees. These men were all from 
the North, sent thither by the rich missionary societies 
and organizations of that section. Not content with dis- 
charging their high function of preaching Christ and 
Him crucified, they began to take a part in Indian poli- 
tics. They sympathized ardently with the Cherokees in 
their struggles with Georgia, and they expressed their 
views and feelings on the subject without restraint. 
They openly and publicly condemned the action of 
Georgia in extending her jurisdiction over the Cherokee 
country, and they encouraged the Indians in their ob- 
stinate and unwise attitude toward the whites. To ex- 
clude such a class, the Legislature, in large measure, 
enacted the above-mentioned law. 

VI. THE CHEROKEE NATION VS. THE STATE OF GEORGIA. 

Early in the year 1831, John Ross, head chief of the 
Cherokees, acting for the nation, brought suit in the 



Georgia and the Cherokees. 301 

United States Supreme Court against the State of 
Georgia. The suit was in the form of a bill of injunc- 
tion praying the court to restrain the State of Georgia 
from executing its laws in the Cherokee country, on the 
ground that the Act of the Legislature extending the 
jurisdiction of Georgia over this country was a violation 
of the Constitution of the United States, and therefore 
null and void. 

The first difficulty with which Ross met was to get 
a proper plaintiff for the suit. To bring a suit like this 
before the Supreme Court the plaintiff must be either 
some individual person or some state in the Union or 
some foreign state. No favorable personal or individ- 
ual case on which a suit might be based had occurred 
since the precipitate hanging of poor George Tassel, 
and John Ross was too impatient to wait for another to 
occur. The Cherokee Nation was not a "state in the 
Union" ; so, in order to bring suit, there was nothing to 
do but to claim that it was a "foreign state," using the 
word "foreign" in its purely political sense, of course. 
Ross carefully consulted some of the most eminent jur- 
ists in America on this point, and he was assured bv 
them that the Cherokee Nation was "a foreign state" 
within the meaning of the Federal Constitution, and 
therefore a competent plaintiff in the proposed suit. So 




William Wirt. 



302 Georgia History Stories. 

the case was duly en- 
tered on the Supreme 
Court docket under the 
caption ''The Cherokee 
Nation z's. the State of 
Georgia." The Chero- 
kees employed William 
Wirt, one of the most 
eminent and eloquent 
lawyers in America, at 
a fee of twenty thousand 
dollars, to represent their 
case. Mr. Wirt associated himself with Mr. Sergeant, 
another lawyer of great ability. The Governor of 
Georgia was cited to appear as defendant in the suit, 
but, as in the case of George Tassel, he scornfully de- 
clined, stating that the Federal Court had, under the Con- 
stitution, no jurisdiction in the matter. 

The case came up for trial in January, 1831. Messrs. 
Wirt and Sergeant made able and exhaustive arguments 
in behalf of the Cherokees. Their speeches were master- 
pieces of eloquence. No counsel appeared for Georgia, 
as the State had purposely ignored the suit. Chief Jus- 
tice John Marshall, speaking for a majority of the court, 
rendered the decision. The gist of it was this: "It has 




Georgia and the Cherokees. 303 

been established to the satisfaction of this court that the 
Cherokees are an independent and sovereign state, sub- 
ject to the authority and laws of no other state, nation 
or power on earth ; but they are a 
sovereign state under peculiar and 
unique conditions. They are cer- 
tainly not a state in the United 
States ; neither are they, in the 
opinion of this court, 'a foreign 
state' within the meaning of the 
Federal Constitution. Not being 'a John Marshall, 

foreign state,' they cannot be competent plaintiffs in 
this case; hence the injunction asked is denied." 
The decision was seemingly a triumph for Georgia, 
but, as any one who would read between the lines 
might see, it was only a temporary triumph. It 
was almost as if the Chief Justice had said : 
'Tn assuming jurisdiction over the Cherokee coun- 
try, the State of Georgia has plainly violated the 
Constitution of the United States. If a suit involv- 
ing the same principles as are contained in this case 
should be brought by a competent plaintiff, by some 
person or individual, for instance, the decision of the 
court would be for the plaintiff and against the State 
of Georgia." So there was nothing for the Cherokees 



304 Georgia History Stories. 

to do but to wait for some favorable personal case to 
occur. Such a case did occur very soon. It was a not- 
able and striking case, and exactly suited to the purpose 
of the Cherokees. 

VII. WORCESTER AND BUTLER VS. THE STATE OF GEORGIA. 

The Act of the State Legislature, passed in 1828, 
forbidding any white persons except those specially li- 
censed by the Governor to reside in the Cherokee coun- 
try, went into effect on June 1, 1830. A small number 
of persons openly defied this law by refusing either to 
leave the territory or to accept the alternative of taking 
the required oath of allegiance to the State of Georgia 
in order to secure license to continue to reside there. 
Among these were three Northern missionaries — Rev. 
Samuel A. Worcester, Rev. Elizur Butler and Rev. 
James Trott. Governor Gilmer was sincerely anxious 
not to arrest these preachers ; so he wrote them a kindly 
note earnestly urging them to obey the law, and warn- 
ing them that if they still refused, they would have to 
suffer the consequences. Since they did not heed the 
warning of the Governor, they and eight other persons 
were arrested and tried by the Georgia Superior Court, 
and were found guilty and sentenced to four years' im- 
prisonment in the State Penitentiary at Milledgeville. 
At the penitentiary gates a proposition was read to them 



Georgia and the Cherokecs. 305 



from the Governor offering to set them free at this last 
moment if they would agree to obey the law. Nine of 
them accepted the offer and were turned loose, but 
Revs. Worcester and Butler refused to yield. The 
prison doors closed behind them, and they were put to 
hard labor like common criminals. Their deed of self- 
sacrificing heroism was tremendously applauded by their 
friends at the North. The principal object of Messrs= 
Worcester and Butler in accepting imprisonment was to 
furnish the Cherokee Nation with a suitable test case to 
carry to the Supreme Court. The case was accordingly 
appealed to that court under the caption "Worcester 
and Butler vs. the State of Georgia." Of course, the 
main object of this suit was not to secure the release of 
Worcester and Butler, but to get from the Supreme 
Court of the United States a declaration that the Act 
of the Georgia Legislature in extending the jurisdiction 
of the State over the Cherokee country was a violation 
of the Federal Constitution, and therefore null and void. 
Messrs. Wirt and Sergeant were again retained as coun- 
sel by the Cherokee Nation. Georgia again, now for the 
third time, refused to appear as defendant. The line of 
argument for the plaintiffs was necessarily much the 
same as had been presented in the case of "The Chero- 
kee Nation vs. the State of Georgia." 



306 Georgia History Stories. 

As every one expected, the decision of the court was 
in favor of the plaintiffs and against the State of 
Georgia. Chief Justice Marshall, in delivering the de- 
cision, went into quite an extensive historical argument; 
but the main point of it was that the Cherokee Indians 
were an independent and sovereign nation, and that no 
other state, people or power had any right to interfere 
with their government or to dispossess them of their 
lands ; that the Act of the Georgia Legislature extend- 
ing the jurisdiction of the State of Georgia over the 
Cherokee country was a violation of the Constitution of 
the United States, and was consequently null and void ; 
and that, therefore, Messrs. Worcester and Butler, who 
had been convicted under the operation of this Act, had 
been illegally convicted, and were now illegally im- 
prisoned and should be released. 

The Cherokees were overjoyed when they heard of 
this decision. They believed it would lead to securing 
them in the permanent possession of their lands, and in 
absolute sovereignty in their own territory. The news 
also gladdened the hearts of Messrs. Worcester and But- 
ler in the penitentiary; for they supposed, of course, that 
their prison doors would now fly open and that they would 
walk forth free men, to be lionized and glorified by the 
Cherokee Nation, and by their hosts of admiring friends 



Georgia and the Chero'kees. 



307 



in the North. But both Indians and martyr preachers 
were doomed to bitter disappointment. Andrew Jackson 
was now President of the United States, and his views 
about dealing with the Indians were the reverse of 
those of his two immediate predecessors, Monroe and 
Adams. He had for years been known as a strong ad- 
vocate of clearing the Indians out of the way of the 
white man and removing 
them to Western reserva- 
tions, by peaceful means if 
possible, by force if neces- 
sary. Georgia could count 
on his helping her, as far as 
he could, in getting rid of the 
Cherokees. Now, in this 
crisis, he helped her with a 
daring hand. He sim.ply re- 
fused to execute the judgment of the Supreme Court. 
When approached on the subject by friends of the 
Cherokees, he curtly replied: ''John Marshall has pro- 
nounced the judgment; now let him execute it!" But, 
of course, John Marshall had no power to execute it. 
So this famous decision of the Supreme Court of the 
United States amounted practically to nothing. Georgia 
went steadily ahead executing her government in the 




President Jackson. 



308 



Gcori^ia History Stories. 




Cherokee country, and Revs. Worcester and Butler still 
languished in the penitentiary at Milledgeville. 

A year later Governor Lumpkin, who had succeeded 
Governor Gilmer, notified the two prisoners that if they 

would comply with the 
same conditions that had 
been offered them as 
they stood at the peni- 
tentiary gates sixteen 
months before, and which 
they had then rejected, 
he would pardon them. 
Concluding that their 
martyrdom had now been 
sufficient, they accepted 
the conditions and were pardoned and set free. For 
this gracious act Governor Lumpkin was severely criti- 
cized by many people in Georgia. 

VIII. Georgia's aggressions. 
Li 1831 the Georgia Legislature instructed the Gov- 
ernor to have the whole of the Cherokee country sur- 
veyed and marked off into counties. Of course the In- 
dians understood that this was only a preliminary step 
towards an attempt to dispossess them of their lands. 
They uttered bitter protests and gnashed their teeth in 



Governor Wilson Lumpkin. 



Georgia and the Cherokees. 309 

rage, but they made no warlike movements to prevent 
the enforcement of the Georgia law. They offered no 
act of violence to the parties of Georgia surveyors, who 
went quietly through the country prosecuting their work. 
In tlie course of a year the survey was completed and 
the territory was divided into ten new Georgia counties. 
The State of Georgia, by advice of Governor Lumpkin, 
paused here for a while before taking another aggres- 
sive step, hoping that the Cherokees would now come to 
their senses and make a treaty ceding their lands to the 
whites. President Jackson made an earnest effort to 
persuade them to do so, but without success, though 
some of the leading half-breed chiefs did show signs of 
yielding to the inevitable and of coming to terms. 

In the latter part of 1832^ Georgia took another ag- 
gressive step. The Legislature passed an act instructing 
the Governor to distribute the lands of the Cherokee 
country among the people of Georgia by- the land lottery 
system.* It was a tedious process, but in the course of 
a year it was finished, and the lands of the Cherokees 
were distributed among the citizens of Georgia. The 
Indians, however, were not to be ousted for the present. 
A law was passed allowing the whites to move and set- 
tle on the unoccupied lands, of which there were great 

*This system is fully described in Section III of the next chapter. 



310 Georgia History Stories. 

quantities ; but they were forbidden by stringent regula- 
tions to intrude on those in actual possession of the 
Indians, or to molest them in any way in their homes. 
Many whites did move in and establish themselves on the 
vacant lands in the rich valleys. They must have been 
odious neighbors to the Indians, but the poor creatures 
raised no hand of violence against them. This meek 
behavior, so contrary to the true Indian character, 
shows how spirit-broken the Cherokees must have been. 
In all these procedures Georgia was openly violating 
the Constitution of the United States as interpreted by 
the Supreme Court in its recent decision ; but her 
action was countenanced, not to say encouraged, by 
President Andrew Jackson, who was in hearty sym- 
pathy with the Georgians in their desire to get the 
Cherokees out of the State. He sincerely believed that 
it would be best for the Indians, as well as the whites ; 
and his strong common sense taught him that it was a 
case in which it would not do to be too squeamish in 
regard to the technicalities of the law. 

IX. TREATY FACTIONS. 

By this time a number of leading chiefs of the 
Cherokees had come to realize the utter hopelessness of 
their struggle with Georgia, and were in favor of mak- 
ing a treaty with the Federal Government looking to 



Georgia and the Cherokees. 311 

the cession of their lands and removal to the western 
reservations ; but a large majority of the nation, under 
the leadership of other chiefs, were as violently opposed 
as ever to considering any such proposition. Thus the 
nation became divided into two factions, the treaty party 
and the anti-treaty party. 

In February, 1835, rival delegations from these two 
factions visited Washington City for the purpose of con- 
ferring with the United States Government. John Ridge 
headed the treaty delegation and John Ross headed the 
anti-treaty delegation. Ross was given the first hear- 
ing. He intimated that the Cherokee Nation might agree 
to cede their lands and move west on certain specified 
terms and conditions ; but these "terms and conditions" 
were so thoroughly and absurdly unreasonable that the 
United States Government refused to consider them for 
a moment, so Ross was politely dismissed. John Ridge 
was then heard. He and his fellow delegates remained 
some days in Washington, and agreed with the United 
States commissioners upon a treaty that was satisfactory 
to both parties, but according to Indian law this treaty 
would have to be accepted by the whole Cherokee Nation 
before it could become effective. Through the influence 
of Ross and other chiefs it was rejected by the over- 
whelming sentiment of the nation ; so all of these nego- 



312 Georgia History Stories. 

tiations came to naught. Many were the maneuverings, 
contentions, charges and counter charges of the two 
factions during the next few^ months. The anti-treaty 
party grew turbulent. Several leading men of the treaty 
party were murdered or assassinated on account of the 
stand they had taken. The whites living in the Chero- 
kee country became alarmed for their own safety, and 
called on Georgia for help against the threatened dan- 
ger. Georgia sent a body of troops, known as the 
Georgia Guard, into the country to protect the whites 
and friendly Indians. But the hostiles oflfered no open 
acts of violence and no armed resistance. They seemed 
to have lost entirely their old fighting spirit. But still 
they remained unmoved in their determination to stay 
in Georgia. 

There was but one more step left for Georgia to 
take. In the fall of 1835 she said in efifect to the 
Federal Government : "If you do not use the power 
vested in you by the Constitution and laws of the 
United States and clear these Indians out of our State, 
as it is your bounden duty to do, we will do it ourselves, 
even if it has to be done at the point of the bayonet!" 
The Federal Government knew that Georgia meant what 
she said. The situation had reached its crisis. Some- 
thing must be done, and that speedily. Andrew Jack- 



Georgia and the Cherokees. 313 

son, President of the United States, saw but one way 
out of the difficulty, and with characteristic independ- 
ence he adopted that way, although he knew it was open 
to severe criticism. 

Under the Constitution of the United States only 
the Federal Government can make treaties with Indians. 
In the latter part of 1835, Jackson, as Chief Executive 
of the Federal Government, called on all the chiefs of 
the Cherokee Nation to meet at their capital, New Echota, 
for the purpose of making a treaty. A Mr. Schermer- 
horn was sent as commissioner to represent the Federal 
Government. The convention assembled at New Echota 
on the 21st of December, 1835. Only the chiefs of the 
treaty party, a comparatively small number, attended 
the meeting; the chiefs of the anti-treaty party pur- 
posely absented themselves. Nevertheless, the commis- 
sioner wxnt ahead and made a treaty with those that 
were present, as he had been instructed to do. The 
terms of the treaty were as follows : 

1. The Cherokees were to surrender all of their 
lands east of the Mississippi River, and were to receive 
from the Federal Government in lieu thereof 7,000,000 
acres of land in the Indian Territory, whither the w^hole 
Cherokee Nation was to remove within two years from 
the date of the treaty. 



31-i Georgia History Stories. 

2. They were to be paid $5,000,000 in money for 
the improvements they had made on the ceded lands. 

3. All the expense of their removal to the Indian 
Territory and a full year's support after they reached 
there was to be borne by the United States Govern- 
ment. 

4. The Indian Territory was never to be annexed 
to any other state, nor was any other state ever to 
exercise any authority over it. The Indians were to be 
guaranteed the perpetual possession of the lands within 
their territorial limits to the exclusion of all white per- 
sons. 

5. The United States was to afford the Indians pro- 
tection from all intrusion by the whites and against all 
foreign and domestic enemies. 

The treaty was agreed to and signed by all the chiefs 
present at the meeting. Two months later it was duly 
confirmed by the United States Senate and received the 
signature of the President of the United States. 
Against these proceedings John Ross, head chief of the 
Cherokees, entered a strong protest, but to no avail. 

X. EXPULSION OF THE CHEROKEES. 

This Treaty of New Echota was undoubtedly illegal, 
for it was agreed to by only a handful of chiefs. More 
than nine-tenths of the Cherokee Nation were avowedly 



Georgia and the Cherokees. 315 

and bitterly opposed to it. But the form of the law had 
been complied with, and Georgia was determined that 
the treaty should be rigidly enforced. In this the State 
was sustained by Andrew Jackson, President of the 
United States, who with his strong common sense saw 
that this was the best possible way to settle the Qierokee 
trouble, which for years had been vexing Georgia and 
the Federal Government and which was growing every 
day more and more serious. 

According to the terms of the treaty, the Indians 
were allowed two years to leave, and on the 24:th of 
May, 1838, the State of Georgia was to take possession 
of the ceded territory. As the time approached and the 
Indians made no motion to leave, the Secretary of War 
sent a confidential agent into the country to inquire into 
the state of affairs. The agent reported back to Wash- 
ington that practically the whole Cherokee Nation still 
repudiated the treaty and would positively refuse to abide 
by it, and that the only possible way to make them move 
would be at the point of the bayonet. 

Throughout this long struggle much public sympa- 
thy had been manifested for the Cherokees in nearly all 
parts of the United States. This sentiment now became 
stronger than ever. In the halls of Congress such men 
as Webster, Clay and Calhoun vigorously condemned the 



31G Georgia History Stories. 

New Echota Treaty, which they declared to be grossly 
illegal and fraudulent. The people of the North, and 
especially of New England, poured forth violent tirades 
of abuse on the Georgians, and, with characteristic med- 
dlesomeness, sent petition after petition to Washington 
asking Congress to use the United States armies to pro- 
tect the Cherokees in their rights. Martin Van Buren, 

who was now President, be- 
came so alarmed at this torrent 
of remonstrance that he urged 
Governor Gilmer (who after 
four years' retirement was again 
in the gubernatorial chair) to 
allow the Indians two years 
more ; but high-spirited Gilmer 
President Van Buren. ^^j.^ positively and very wisely 

declined, saying : "They must leave immediately ; and 
if the Federal Government refuses to perform its duty 
and make them move, we will do it ourselves." 

Van Buren prudently decided to let things take their 
course. General Winfield Scott, of the United States 
army, was sent from Washington to the Cherokee coun- 
try to superintend the removal. On the 10th day of 
May he issued a proclamation that every Cherokee man, 
woman, and child must be on the way to the West 




Gcon^ia and the Chcrokees. 



317 



within a month ; but not an Indian budged. General 
Scott called on Georgia for two regiments of troops ; 
Georgia responded promptly, for, expecting just such a 
call, she had the men ready. By the 28th of May six- 
teen hundred soldiers, composing two regiments, were 
assembled at New Echota, under the command of Gen- 
eral Floyd, of the United States army. Even at this late 
date John Ross, indefati- 
gable champion of the 
Cherokees, made a final 
effort to save his people 
from expulsion from 
their homes. He hurried 
to Washington City, en- 
tered a protest, and en- 
deavored to get a stay 
of proceedings so that 
he misfht brinsT the mat- 




General Wlnfield Scott. 



ter once more before the Supreme Court, but all of no 
avail. The long struggle was over, and for the poor 
Cherokees the bitter end had come. 

The two regiments were divided into companies, 
and these companies were sent to different stations con- 
veniently distributed through the Cherokee country. 
Then the companies were divided into squads, which 



318 Georgia History Stories. 

marched from home to home of the Cherokees, as they 
lay widely scattered over valley and hill, and arresting 
all the Indian families, took them to appointed forts or 
camps, where the Indians were put into pens, and cor- 
ralled in great numbers like cattle. It was a heart-rend- 
ing business, but it was all done in as gentle and as 
kind a way as possible under the circumstances. The 
poor Indians would not believe they were leaving their 
homes forever. They knew that their great chief, John 
Ross, had gone to Washington in their behalf ; and 
firmly believing that he would succeed, they expected, 
after being detained a short time, to be allowed to re- 
turn to their humble homes which they loved so dearly. 
The arresting soldiers had not the heart to disabuse 
them of this delusion. 

By the middle of June, or a little later, the whole 
nation was gathered into the various camps and forts, 
and the journey to Indian Territory, nearly seven hun- 
dred miles away, was immediately begtm. More than 
fourteen thousand Cherokee Indians were thus expelled, 
at the point of the bayonet, from Georgia and contigu- 
ous parts of Tennessee and the Carolinas. Their long 
overland journey occupied four months, and was nec- 
essarily full of hardships. Though everything possible 
was done to lessen their sufferings, it is said that four 



Georgia and the Cherokees. 319 

thousand of the poor wretches died on the route. It 
was the most pitiful exodus that ever occurred on the 
American continent. By the 1st of December, 1838, 
the last Cherokee Indian had left the State of Georgia. 

Georgia was much censured in nearly all parts of 
the United States, and especially by the people of the 
North, for her conduct towards the Cherokees ; but her 
treatment of them was virtually the same as had been 
practiced by every state in the Union towards the 
Indian race. For despite the theories of sentimental- 
ists and the high-sounding opinions of Supreme Court 
judges, the whites had always acted on the principle 
that the lands of America belonged to them, and that 
Indians were only "tenants at will," to be cleared out 
whenever they got in the white man's way. Self-right- 
eous New England herself, whose fanatical howling 
against the Georgians had been specially violent and 
oflfensive, had acted on precisely this same principle 
years before; only she got rid of her Indians by simply 
exterminating them in heartless wars, instead of by the 
slow, patient, humane method pursued by Georgia to- 
wards the Cherokees. 

Throughout this long contention sentimentalism and 
the strict letter of the Constitution and laws of the 
United States were all on the side of the Cherokees, 



320 Geor(^ia History Sto 



ries. 



but good sense, practical wisdom and real humanity 
were all on the side of Georgia. The idea that a tribe 
of Indians should have been allowed to keep perpetual 
possession of a large portion of the best part of the 
State of Georgia as an absolutely independent and sov- 
ereign power in the very midst of the white man's civi- 
lization was absurd. It would have proven a political 
and social impossibility. It must be borne in mind that 
these lands were not taken away from the Indians, but 
were purchased from them. They w^ere forced to sell, 
it is true ; but they were paid a good, fair, full price, as 
any one who will read the terms of the New Echota 
Treaty can plainly see. 

XI. ASSASSINATION OF THE TREATY CHIEFS. 

On the 22d of June, 1839, three of the most prom- 
inent chiefs of the Cherokees, Major Ridge, Elias Bou- 
dinot and John Ridge, all mixed-breeds and among the 
most intelligent men of the nation, were cruelly assassin- 
ated in the Indian Territory, where they were just 
establishing themselves in their new homes. Major 
Ridge was shot dead from his horse in the public 
road by parties lying in ambush. At almost the same 
hour Elias Boudinot, twenty miles away, was called 
from a new house that he was building by several men, 
who pretended that they wished to speak to him on 



Georgia and the Cherokees. 321 

business. Unsuspecting, he stepped aside with them, and 
was instantly clubbed to death, the assassins vanish- 
ing in the near-by woods. On the night of that same 
day, John Ridge, thirty miles in another direction, was 
dragged from his bed and literally cut to pieces with 
knives. These three men had been the leaders of the 
treaty party in Georgia, and were therefore very odious 
to the anti-treaty party. That they were murdered out 
of pure vengeance by members of the anti-treaty party 
there has never been the slightest doubt. Thus the 
civilized and Christianized Cherokees, who through all 
their persecutions in Georgia had never struck one 
manly blow from the shoulder out in defense of their 
rights, showed by these cowardly assassinations that 
the savage instinct, on its baser side, was still strong 
in them. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

EXPANSION OF GEORGIA. 

I. Georgia's condition at the close of the 

REVOLUTION. 

When the Revohitionary War closed in 1782, the 
civihzed part of Georgia was confined to a long, narrow 
strip extending along the west side of the Savannah 
River and along the Atlantic Coast nearly down to 
Florida. This strip embraced scarcely more than one- 
eighth the present area of Georgia. It was rather 
thinly populated by about 35,000 inhabitants— 19,000 
whites and 1G,000 negroes. These people were in a 
deplorable condition. For more than two years they 
had been subjected to the havoc and horrors of what 
had been practically a civil war of the worst kind, a 
war in which Patriots and Tories, brother Georgians, 
next-door neighbors, fought each other with bitter 
hatred and savage cruelty. Murder, theft, wholesale 
destruction of property, and nearly all conceivable 
atrocities had characterized this barbarous warfare, and 
it had left the country ruined. Every family and every 
individual in the region had suffered severely. Homes 
had been burned, farms devastated, families scattered, 

322 



.^r^ 



Expansion of Georgia. 323 

and communities broken up. Savannah and Augusta, 
the two largest towns, were nearly destroyed. The peo- 
ple were poverty-stricken. There was very little money. 
Agriculture was badly crippled and commerce was al- 
most suspended. 

The morals of the people, too, had suffered seri- 
ously. Men had become in a measure brutalized by the 
u— - - - hardening experiences 

through which they had 
passed. Human life was 
counted cheap; drunken- 
ness, gambling and pro- 

T^u .n. 1 TT 11 ^ • ^T fanity were very preva- 

The Walton-Hall-Gwmnett Monu- 
ment at Augusta. lent; quarreling, fighting 

and duels were frequent; yet these people were not es- 
sentially bad. From the moralist's standpoint there was 
much wickedness among them, but there was little real 
depravity, little innate meanness and baseness. Theirs 
were the sins of passion, provoked by temporary condi- 
tions, not the sins of falsehood, which always indicate 
something radically wrong in character. They got drunk, 
gambled and swore, quarreled and fought ; but they ab- 
horred lying, cheating, deceit, sordid selfishness and all 
manner of base and dishonorable conduct. The wonder- 
ful spirit and energy with which these people set about 




3.24 Gcor<^ia History Stories. 

rebuilding- their ruined fortunes show that they pos- 
sessed in higli degree the quaHties of a sterHng and 
heroic manhood. Their standard of character was high, 
and there were among them a number of really great 
men — men wdio would have been considered great in 
any age and in any civilized country in the world. 

Soon after the war was over the property of all 
the Georgia Loyalists, or Tories, wdio had been active 
against the Americans was confiscated and sold, and 
the money was put into the State Treasury. It 
amounted to quite a large sum, and probably saved the 
State from bankruptcy. IMost of the Tories, knowing 
that they were held in great odium and would probably 
be bitterly persecuted, left the State immediately after 
the Revolutionary War. It was, on all accounts, a 
happy riddance. Some of these Tories were good, 
high-toned, honorable men ; but many of them, espe- 
cially of the commoner classes, were a base set. Those 
that remained in Georgia were ill treated by the Pa- 
triots and could scarcely get justice in the law courts. 

By the side of the civilized strip, above described, lay 
the uncivilized or undeveloped part of Georgia, stretch- 
ing far to the westward. It was one vast forest, for 
the most part trackless and unexplored, and was inhab- 
ited only by the scattered tribes of Creek and Cherokee 



Expansion of Georgia. 



325 



Indians, There was not on the American continent at 
that time any more desirable region for pioneer settlers 



I TENNESSEE T^ ^ORTH CAROLINA^/^,-' 




BJRMAY i CO, N.Y. 



Map Showing Expansion of Georgia. 



than these wild lands of Georgia. The statesmen of 
Georgia fully appreciated this fact, and immediately 
after the Revolutionary War they began to arrange for 



32G Georgia History Stories. 

opening these lands to settlers. The first step was to 
clear the Indians out of the region, and this was done 
promptly and vigorously. 

II. THE FIRST EXPANSION I FROM THE OGEECHEE TO 
THE OCONEE. 

As you have already learned in the chapter on Alex- 
ander McGillivray, the State of Georgia, in the year 
178-1, under the guise of a so-called treaty, forced the 
Creek Indians to give up all of their lands lying be- 
tween the Ogeechee and Oconee rivers and extending 
up to that section of the Cherokee country which had 
already been acquired by the whites. Thus an exten- 
sive, beautiful and most inviting region was added to 
Georgia's domain. It was divided into two great coun- 
ties, Washington County on the south and Franklin 
County on the north. These two great counties have 
since been divided up into ten or twelve Georgia coun- 
ties of the present day. 

Every possible encouragement was given by the 
State to the rapid peopling of this new acquisition. The 
lands were literally given away. A large portion of 
them was bestowed as bounties or rewards on Georgia 
soldiers who had fought in the Revolutionary War. 
Besides these ''military grants," as they were called, the 
State allowed any new-comer, who was "master or head 



Expansion of Georgia. 327 

of a family," to go into the new region and select for 
himself any parcel of land, not over two hundred and 
Aft}- acres, that he might choose, provided it was not 
already claimed by some one else. He had to bear the 
expense of the survey ^himself, and was also required 
to pay a merely nominal price for the lands. Then the 
lot was his, and the State issued him a warrant for it, 
known as "Head-Right," because each head of a family, 
after complying with the conditions named, had a legal 
and indisputable right to the property. 

Notwithstanding these great inducements and ad- 
vantages, there was seemingly one very serious draw- 
back to the rapid settling of this choice region, and that 
was the attitude of the Creek Indians. As you have al- 
ready learned, these Indians, under the instigation of 
their supreme chief, Alexander McGillivray, repudiated 
the so-called treaties by which these lands had been 
given up. From their homes on the west side of the 
Oconee they made frequent destructive and bloody 
forays on the white settlements on the east side of the 
river. These irregular and fitful, but exceedingly dan- 
gerous, forays were kept up for nearly ten years and 
are known in history as the Oconee War, an account 
of which you have already had in connection with the 
story of McGillivray. In spite of this danger many 



328 



Georgia History Stories. 







bold pioneers moved with their famihcs into the rei^ion ; 
and not a few later paid the penalty of their daring with 
their property or their lives. For mntual protection they 

lived close together, form- 
ed military companies 
among themselves, went 
always armed, and built 
rude forts, called ''block- 
houses," in which their 
families could take ref- 
uge during a foray or in times of special danger. The 
remains of a number of these *'block-houses" stood in 
Georgia until recent years, and the location of some of 
them can be pointed out to this day. 

In 179() the Indians, as you have been told, were 
perfectly pacified by the Treaty of Coleraine, and gave 
no further trouble. The emigration into the new coun- 
try, which had all along been flowing in a steady 
stream, was now greatly increased in volume. Many 
of the settlers came from the older parts of Georgia, 
especially from Wilkes and Columbia counties ; but a 
large majority of them were emigrants from states 
other than Georgia. They came mainly from North 
Carolina and Virginia, with a considerable intermixture 
of South Carolinians and some Marvlanders. 



Expansion of Georgia. 329 

The North Carolinians, who were largely of Scotch- 
Irish stock, settled chiefly in Franklin, Banks, Ogle- 
thorpe, Madison, Washington and Montgomery coun- 
ties. Most of them were poor people, not poverty- 
stricken, but of very moderate means, owning few 
slaves or none. They were not a cultured folk, but they 




From an old print. 

Family of a Pioneer in the Interior of Georgia. 

were robust and wholesome in body and mind, and of 
sterling character. Many of the ablest men of Georgia 
came from this North Carolina stock. 

The Virginians settled mainly in the section now 
contained in Hancock and Greene counties. They were 
wealthier, better educated, and, in a social sense, bet- 
ter bred than the North Carolinians. Most of them 
were tobacco planters, whose lands in east Virginia 



330 Georgia History Stories. 

had, from long use and careless cultivation, become 
worn out and unproductive. The opening of the rich, 
fresh lands of Georgia came as a godsend to these Vir- 
ginians. They disposed of their Virginia estates and 
in great numbers moved to "Georgy," as they always 
pronounced it. The migration of a well-to-do tobacco 
planter from Virginia to Georgia was a striking spec- 
tacle. The family emigrant train usually consisted of 




Emigrants and Plantation Wagon. 

one or two six-horse plantation wagons, with their great 
boat-like bodies and arched canvas coverings. Into 
these huge wagons were stored necessary agricultural 
implements and the rude belongings of the negro slaves. 
They were accompanied by two or three two-horse 
wagons, loaded with provisions for the journey and with 
the furniture of the white family ; and one of these 
wagons was generally set aside to be used as an ambu- 
lance for the weak and feeble negroes and for such as 



Expansion of Georgia. 331 

might be taken sick on the journey. The women and 
children of the white family rode in a vehicle comfort- 
ably provided with springs and seats, and known as a 
''Jersey wagon." The men and youths of the family 
rode on horseback. The negroes, or all that were strong 
enough, walked the whole distance, driving the flocks 
and herds before them. Of course, the outfits of the 
poorer emigrants were much more modest than the one 
described, consisting of two or three (or in some cases 
maybe of only one) two-horse wagons, carrying all their 
goods and chattels. The journey generally occupied a 
full month or more. On reaching ''Georgy," the emi- 
grants usually found rude, temporary homes already 
provided for them, prepared by gangs of workmen who 
had been sent on several months in advance to make a 
clearing in the forest and erect a few log cabins. 

With wonderful energy and rapidity all of the set- 
tlers, both North Carolinians and Virginians, cleared 
away the primeval forest and brought the virgin soil 
under cultivation. The fresh lands of Georgia, even the 
uplands, were at that time exceedingly fertile and pro- 
ductive. As some one said: ''You had but to tickle the 
bosom of the earth with a plow and she would laugh 
an abundant harvest into your lap!" The people de- 
voted themselves exclusively to agriculture. They 



332 Georgia History Stories. 

raised mainly foodstuffs and supplies for home consump- 
tion. Corn, wheat, oats, rye, barley, potatoes and pump- 
kins were produced in great abundance. Flocks and 
herds of cattle, sheep and hogs were raised. The 
woods abounded with .game, and the streams teemed 
with fish. There was an overwhelming plenty of the 
''good things of the earth" for both man and beast. 
Wool, some flax, and even a little cotton for clothing 
and leather for shoes were produced and manufactured 
on the farms. Almost the only "money crop" was to- 
bacco, which these people had learned so well to raise 
in Virginia and North Carolina. 

The principal tobacco market was Augusta ; but to- 
bacco growing was not a lucrative business for the 
planter, barely furnishing him with money enough to 
buy such necessaries and comforts as he could not make 
at home. Fortunately, however, these were few. There 
was never a more independent, self-sustaining, self-re- 
specting people in the civilized world than these pioneer 
settlers of middle Georgia. 

The extreme southern part of the new region (in- 
cluded mainly in what is now Emanuel and Tattnall 
counties) was one unbroken pine forest, with com- 
paratively sterile soil, and at that time it was supposed 
to be entirely worthless for agricultural purposes. 



Expansion of Georgia. 333 

Naturally, it was settled up very slowly. By the year 
1800, however, a few people, generally very poor, had 
moved into this uninviting region and estabhshed their 
homes amid the sighing wilderness of pines. Of these 
people and all the other "piny wood folks" of Georgia, 
we shall have more to say further on. 

In 1783 Georgia had, including whites and blacks, 
35,000 inhabitants. In 1790 the population was 82,000, 
and in 1800 it was 105,000. This increase was owing 
mainly to the emigrants from other States who had 
moved into the newly opened country between the Ogee- 
chee and the Oconee. All of the desirable lands in this 
strip were now occupied, and even the sterile "piny 
woods" contained a considerable population. The peo- 
ple began to call importunately for more lands. The 
times were now ripe, the conditions favorable and the 
demand imperative for another expansion of Georgia. 
As before, the thing to be done was to make another 
clearing away of Indians. 

III. SECOND EXPANSION : FROM THE OCONEE TO 
THE OCMULGEE. 

In 1802, 1803 and 180-1 Georgia acquired from the 
Creek Indians by fair and legal treaty, or "purchase," 
as these transactions had now got to be called, all of the 
lands lying between the Oconee and the Ocmulgee 



334 Georgia History Stories. 

rivers. Thus another beautiful region fully as desir- 
able and nearly as large as the previous one was added 
to Georgia's domain. So anxious was the State for the 
rapid peopling of this new acquisition that again she 
literally gave away the lands. But the method of giv- 
ing away was entirely different from the old "Head- 
Right" system. In its stead a new and original device 
known as the "Land Lottery" was adopted. 

The plan was this : The newly acquired territory 
was thoroughly surveyed by government surveyors, and 
was marked off into lots of about two hundred acres 
each. An accurate map of the survey was made, on 
which the lots were numbered 1, 2, 3, and so on. There 
were several hundreds of them in all. Numbers corre- 
sponding to the numbers of the lots were then written on 
bits of cardboard, and together with a great many blank 
cards were placed in a "lottery box" in the Capitol. 
From this lottery box "every Georgia citizen, every 
Georgia widow with minor children, and every family 
of Georgia minor orphans" had a chance to "draw" 
for a lot. In order that none might miss their op- 
portunity, an alphabetical list of all eligible persons 
in each county in the State was carefully made. A 
blindfolded boy stood by the lottery box (which was 
frequently well "shaken up"), and as each name was 



Expansion of Georgia. 335 

called in alphabetical order he drew out a card. Thus 
every eligible person in the State had his or her chance. 
A great many drew blanks, of course, but many also 
drew prizes, a rich prize or an indifferent prize, accord- 
ing to the location of the lot he happened to draw. 
The drawing was done in the presence of five sworn 
commissioners, and it was also open to the public if 
the public chose to attend. It was a tedious process, 
and occupied several weeks. Under this plan fraud, 
cheating and unfair play were impossible. 

A great many people who drew lots in the new 
purchase did not themselves settle on them, but sold 
them to others. 

As soon as the preliminaries were over, settlers by 
hundreds crowded into the newly opened country. A 
majority of them were already Georgians, coming 
mainly from the families of the Virginians and North 
Carolinians who fifteen or twenty years before had 
emigrated into the new region between the Ogeechee 
and the Oconee. The elder sons of these families, and 
in many instances the old folks themselves, now moved 
into the still newer country between the Oconee and 
the Ocmulgee, on account of the. advantages offered by 
the still fresher and richer lands. A great many new emi- 
grants also came from other States, mainly again from 



336 



Geoi'cria History Stor 



'les. 



Virginia and the Carolinas. A very large proportion 
of these settlers were people of means, education and 
refinement, and of the highest character. No new 
country was ever settled by a better, finer or more 
capable class of people, with a smaller intermixture of 
base and inferior elements. Money, brains and char- 
acter were applied at once with powerful energy to the 
development of the region. It had not the rough, rude 

and coarse experi- 
ences that usually 
belong to the pio- 
neer life of a new 
country; but by a 
wonderful change, 
not gradual, but sud- 
den, it passed from 
the dark night of barbarism into the full light of 
a high and noble civilization. This was especially true 
of Putnam, Jasper, Jones, Baldwin, and Morgan coun- 
ties and measurably true of Twiggs, Wilkinson, Laurens, 
and Pulaski counties ; but Dodge, Telfair, and Mont- 
gomery counties, which lay chiefly in the "pine barren" 
section, had, like all the rest of that strange region, a 
very slow development ; in fact, had scarcely any devel- 
opment until after the Civil War. 




From a print of 1841. 

Oglethorpe University, Midway, 
Baldwin County. 



Expansion of Georgia. 337 

All of the forces and influences that go to create a 
noble civilization and to develop great men were now 
fully at work in Georgia. The management of public 
affairs, the administration of law and justice, the de- 
velopment of the new country, the conducting of agri- 




The University of Georgia, Athens, Ga. 
The Oldest State University in the United States. 

culture and commerce, stimulated intellect and aroused 
ambition. In all professions and callings men of a high 
order of ability arose, and among them there appeared 
some men who were pre-eminently great. 

Along with territorial expansion came great im- 
provements to the whole State. Churches were built 



338 Georgia History Stories. 

in great numbers, and they were well attended and well 
supported, and some of them were served by preachers 
of wonderful eloquence. Ever and anon great religious 
revivals would sweep over the country exerting a good 
and lasting influence on the character and the lives of 
the people. People felt religion much more deeply in 
those days than they do in ours. A "religious revival" 
meant more then than it does now. Then it was "deep 
calling unto deep" ; now it is usually "shallow calling 
unto shallow." 

Soon after the Revolutionary War, Georgia began 
to manifest much interest in education. In 1802 the 
University of Georgia was established. Academies and 
"old field schools" were quite abundantly distributed 
over the State, and they were the great educators of 
the people. The methods of these old-time schools were 
no doubt crude and faulty, and they are the object 
of unstinted ridicule and abuse by the self-conceited 
pedagogue of the present day; but somehow many of 
the greatest men, the noblest characters and the best- 
trained intellects that the State of Georgia has ever pro- 
duced were educated at these old-time schools. "By 
its fruits shall the tree be judged." 

In 1793 Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin.* It 

*For an interesting account of the invention of the cotton gin, see Joel 
Chandler Harris's charming little book, "Stories of Georgia." 



Expansion of Georgia. 



339 



proved to be one of the most important events in the 
history of America. This simple contrivance, scarcely big- 
ger than a baby's cradle, made the fortune of our South- 
land, fixed her destiny, and determined the character of 
her civilization. Its effects were felt speedily and 
powerfully, especially in Georgia. By the year 1815 the 
cultivation of tobacco was almost wholly abandoned in 




By courtesy of The Hozce Photographic Company, Atlanta, Ga. 

Picking Cotton on a Georgia Plantation, 
the State, and the raising of cotton was adopted in its 
stead. The farmers still continued to raise all of their 
own provisions and supplies, so cotton was "a surplus 
crop.'' It proved to be a much more lucrative product 
than tobacco. Georgia farmers who all along had been 
making a good living now began to acquire wealth. A 
stream of emigrants, with their gangs of negroes, came 
pouring in from Virginia to make money by raising cot- 
ton on the fresh soil of Georgia, a power they had lost by 



340 Georgia History Stories. 

raising tobacco on the worn-out lands of the "Old 
Dominion." 

By the year 1818 well-nigh every desirable acre of 
land in the cotton belt of Georgia from the Savannah to 
the Ocmulgee River was occupied. The people began to 
call importunately for more land to raise more cotton to 
make more money. The time was ripe, conditions were 
favorable, and the demand imperative for another ex- 
pansion of Georgia. Again the thing to be done was 
to make another clearing out of Indians. 

IV. THIRD EXPANSION ! FROM THE OCMULGEE TO 
THE FLINT. 

In 1821, by another treaty, or purchase, the State of 
Georgia acquired from the Creek Indians all of the 
lands lying between the Ocmulgee and the Flint rivers. 
This region, as a whole, was well adapted, both in soil 
and climate, to the cultivation of cotton. The lands 
were distributed among the people by the Land Lottery 
plan, and the country was settled up very rapidly. The 
upper part was settled mainly by plain people in mod- 
erate circumstances, and without much education, but 
of sturdy, sterling character. The middle and lower 
parts were settled very largely by rich planters from 
the contiguous older counties of Jones, Jasper and Put- 
nam. This was specially true of Monroe, Bibb, Houston 



Expansion of Georgia. 341 

and Macon counties, into which sections wealthy settlers 
came in large numbers, with their gangs of negroes. 
Here they implanted the high civilization to which they 
had been accustomed, and in this new soil it flourished 
like the green bay tree. 

A large majority of the settlers of the new region, 
both rich and poor, devoted themselves to the raising of 
cotton. Indeed, this had now become the greatest in- 
dustry of Georgia. King Cotton, in his' fleecy robes, 
was now thoroughly established on his throne, and 
ruled the State with undisputed sway. He proved 
one of the most energetic of monarchs and gradually 
wrought a wonderful change in Georgia's civilization, 
giving to her customs and modes of life their perma- 
nent form. He enabled his subjects to make great for- 
tunes. He built towns and cities, influenced politics 
and government, and there was scarcely an important 
business or public enterprise in the State in which he 
did not take a hand. 

Raising cotton was a profitable business in Georgia 
in those days. The staple brought from twelve to fif- 
teen cents a pound. As the cost of production was 
small and the farmers still made their provisions and 
supplies at home, the cotton money was nearly all clear 
gain. People made fortunes rapidly. Choice lands in 



342 Georgia History Stories. 

the new purchase could be bought for a dollar or two 
dollars an acre. Often men would pay for a farm or 
a plantation with one year's crop of cotton. From 1820 
to 1840 may be called the money-making period par 
excellence in Georgia's history. The negro population 
grew enormously during this period. The natural in- 
crease among these people was great. From selfish in- 
terests as well from humane impulses, masters took good 
care of their negroes, who rapidly increased in numbers, 
the birth-rate exceeding the death-rate. Besides, large 
numbers of new negroes were brought into the State. 
Though the importations of natives from Africa had 
been entirely stopped by the Federal Government, many 
slaves were brought from Virginia and eastern Mary- 
land, which had become congested with negroes. These 
states contained many more slaves than could be used 
with profit ; so the owners sold ofif their ''surplus stock" 
to negro speculators, who brought them in great droves 
to Georgia and sold them at a handsome profit to cot- 
ton planters. These "nigger traders" were held in uni- 
versal contempt by the people ; nevertheless they were 
liberally patronized, and they made money by their 
traffic. As fast as the planters made money by raising 
cotton, they spent it in buying more lands and more 
negroes, to raise more cotton to make more money, so 



Expansion of Georgia. 



343 



that they could buy more land and more negroes. For 
twenty years or more this increase in wealth and slave 
population went on. Georgia had now won the title of 
"Empire State of the South." 




Scene on a Cotton Plantation. 

During the first part of this period the best people 
of Georgia lived in the country on their farms and plan- 
tations, where the greatest men that Georgia ever pro- 
duced were born and reared. The brains, character and 
culture of the State were not concentrated in towns and 



344 Georgia History Stories. 

cities, as is now the tendency, but were to be found in 
the country. 

V. FOURTH EXPANSION : SOUTH GEORGIA AND ITS 
TARDY DEVELOPMENT. 

Until 1814 the Creek Indians remained in possession 
of an extensive territory in extreme south Georgia. It 
consisted of a broad zone of country stretching from 
near the Atlantic Ocean on the east across the State to 
the Chattahoochee River on the west. In this region 
was embraced the beautiful "Tallasee Country," so be- 
loved of the Creek Indians, and which, as you remem- 
ber, had been saved to them by the masterful diplo- 
macy of their great chieftain, Alexander McGillivray, 
in the Treaty of New York in 1790. At length, how- 
ever, in the year 1814, the United States Government, 
acting for the benefit of the State of Georgia, by the 
Treaty of Fort Jackson forced the Creek Indians to 
give up the whole of this southern territory. By a 
subsequent treaty, made in 1816, a small strip lying to 
the northeast of this territory was added to the cession. 

Into the new country thus acquired there was no 
immediate rush of settlers. It was not considered as a 
desirable or inviting region. The Indians were ex- 
pelled from it not mainly to make room for white 
settlers, but to protect the already settled parts of 



Expansion of Georgia. 345 

Georgia. It seems not even to have been surveyed 
by the State Government until after 1818, which 
shows that there was not much demand for the lands. 
The eastern portion of it was covered very largely by 
the so-called "pine barrens," which in those days were 
thought to be worthless for agricultural purposes. The 
western portion was almost unexplored land ; and be- 
cause it lay next to the hostile Alabama Creeks, who 
lived on the other side of the Chattahoochee River, it 
was regarded as dangerous ground. Hence while every 
other newly opened portion of Georgia was settled up with 
great eagerness and rapidity, the southern zone of the 
State lay for a number of years neglected and ignored. 
It was not until after the year 1825 that any consider- 
able number of people moved into this region. In the 
meantime it had been discovered that mixed with the 
"pine barrens" there was a good deal of fertile hum- 
mock land lying along the rivers and creeks. These 
choice spots were bought up by planters living in the 
old and now nearly worn-out eastern counties. There 
they settled with great gangs of negroes, and soon 
brought the soil under fine cultivation. It was discov- 
ered also, in the course of time, that the western end of 
the zone, or what we now call southwest Georgia, was 
made up very largely of rich and fertile lands, both 



346 Georgia History Stories. 

bottoms and uplands. Wealthy men from middle and 
western Georgia bought up these tracts in large estates, 
turning them into cotton plantations, which they peo- 
pled with troops of negroes in charge of overseers. It 
was considered in those days a very undesirable country 
to live in, on account of malaria and bad water, so the 
owners of these plantations usually had their homes else- 
where, and visited their places only two or three times 
a year. Even into the "pine barrens" proper a good 
many poor people crept (for the lands could be had 
almost without money and without price), and there 
established their rude homes, and there lived for gener- 
ations and generations, in unprogressive simplicity and 
strange isolation. 

It was not until several years after the War between 
the States that the possibilities and resources of south 
Georgia were fully realized and that it received its true 
development. 

VI. FIFTH EXPANSION I FROM THE FLINT TO THE 
CHATTAHOOCHEE. 

In the year 1825, by the famous Treaty of Indian 
Spring, of which you have had a full account in the 
chapter on "Troup and the Treaty," Georgia acquired 
from the Creek Indians the rich and beautiful region 
lying between the Flint and the Chattahoochee rivers. 



Expansion of Georgia. 347 

The Creeks had now surrendered to the whites the last 
foot of land that they owned in Georgia. Two years 
later they were removed in a body to a reservation set 
aside for them beyond the Mississippi River. 

There was an immediate rush of settlers into the 
vacated lands. The upper part of the new purchase 
was settled almost entirely by poor people with few 
slaves or none. The lands there were generally poor 
and were not supposed to be adapted to the cultivation 
of cotton, and hence were exceedingly cheap. The 
settlers devoted themselves largely to raising cattle. 
]\Iost of them were from the older parts of Georgia, 
but there was also considerable emigration from other 
States. These people, as a rule, were good, honest and 
industrious, but there was among them a lawless and 
depraved element that gave much trouble. The middle 
section of the purchase was by far the best. The 
richest and most desirable lands (the section now in- 
cluded in Coweta, Troup, Meriwether, Harris, Talbot 
and Muscogee counties) were settled mainly by wealthy 
planters from central Georgia. By the careless and 
wretched system of tilling the soil that then prevailed 
through the cotton belt of Georgia, these planters had, 
in the course of fifteen or twenty years, worn out or 
greatly damaged the fertile uplands of their original 



348 



Georgia History Stories. 



places ; and now they moved to the fresh, rich lands of 
western Georgia only to pursue the same land-destroy- 
ing system of agriculture. They brought with them 
not only industry and energy, but also wealth, culture 
and social refinement, which they transplanted with per- 
fect success into the new region ; and in a marvelously 
short time they caused ''the wilderness to bloom and 




From an old print. 

Cohinibns, Muscogee County, as It Appeared 
When First Settled. 

blossom as the rose." The southern end of the pur- 
chase included the upper part of what we now call 
southwest Georgia. For reasons already given this was 
at that time considered an undesirable region to live 
in, though it contained large areas oi fertile lands. 
These were bought up by rich men, who converted 
them into big cotton plantations, peopled with negro 



Expansion of Georgia. 349 

slaves, in charge of white overseers. The owner rarely 
lived on the place himself, but visited it only occasion- 
ally for business purposes. Throughout both the mid- 
dle and the southern sections there were quantities of 
poor piny woods lands, which were usually settled by 
people correspondingly poor, for they sold for a mere 
trifle. 

VII. SIXTH EXPANSION I THE CHEROKEE COUNTRY. 

In the northwest corner of Georgia lay that exten- 
sive region of country which was still possessed and 
occupied by the Cherokee Indians. The story of how 
these Cherokees were finally, in 1837, expelled from 
Georgia and transported beyond the Mississippi, has 
been fully told in Chapter XVIII. Thus passed the last 
red man from the State of Georgia ! 

The new territory thus acquired was a beautiful 
region, covered with hills, mountains and interlying 
valleys, with a bracing and delightful climate. From 
this region have been formed the counties of Cherokee, 
Bartow, Gordon, Cobb, Forsyth, Gilmer, Fumpkin, 
Murray, Paulding, Walker, Chattooga and Floyd. The 
whole of it was distributed among the people of Georgia 
by the Land Lottery system, already described. In one 
part of the territory (the section which is now Lumpkin, 
Gilmer and Union counties), some gold had been found, 



350 Georgia History Stories. 

and the belief generally prevailed that the whole section 
thereabouts was extremely rich in the precious metal. 
Several years before the Cherokees w^ere expelled, many 
adventurers had gone into this so-called gold country, 
from which they were driven at the point of a bayonet 
by the State militia. When the lands were finally dis- 
tributed among the whites by lottery, those persons who 
drew lots in the "gold diggings" sold them readily at a 
high price to capitalists and adventurers. The purchas- 
ers moved at once into their possessions and began 
searching for gold, expecting to acquire princely for- 
tunes in a short time. But almost without an exception 
they were bitterly disappointed. They found little or 
no gold, and in the course of a year or two their 'vis- 
ions of untold wealth had ''gone a-glimmering like a 
schoolboy's dream." The lands for which they had paid 
such a high price were for the most part sterile, moun- 
tainous and rugged, and of little value for agricultural 
pursuits. The disappointed owners sold them for a 
song and moved away, or else abandoned them to the 
first ''squatters" who might come and take possession. 
Except in a small region around the present town of 
Dahlonega, in Lumpkin County, gold mining in Georgia 
has never "panned out" anything worth considering. 
After this mountainous, rugged and sterile part of 



Expansion of Georgia. 351 

Georgia was abandoned by the disappointed gold seek- 
ers, it was occupied by mountaineers from North Caro- 
Hna. Their descendants are still in the Georgia moun- 
tains ; and though rough, they are honest, kind, inde- 
pendent and hospitable. 

The hill country below the mountains, including 
what is now Cobb, Forsyth and Cherokee counties, was 
more inviting to enterprising settlers than the mountain 
section just described. Still it was far from being a choice 
region for agricultural purposes. It was rugged and 
stony, and the lands were generally more or less sterile. 
They were very cheap, and for ten or twenty dollars a 
man could buy a small farm of forty or fifty acres. They 
were occupied mainly by settlers coming from east and 
northeast Georgia, especially from Franklin, Hall, Jack- 
son, and Madison counties. They were a sturdy, brave, 
self-reliant people, but possessed little property and little 
education. They devoted themselves to the cultivation 
of corn, wheat, rye and oats, and to cattle raising. They 
did all of their own work, for there were few slaves 
among them. They lived very comfortably, but plainly, 
for they had never known luxury and were independent 
of it. Most of them had a limited English education, 
but there was scarcely a classical scholar among them. 

The best part of the Cherokee acquisition was what 



352 Georgia History Stories. 

was then known, and is still known, as the "blue 
limestone country/' The choicest section of this 
choice region was included in what is now Chat- 
tooga, Floyd and Bartow counties. It was a beau- 
tiful country, covered with lofty hills and broad, 
fertile valleys, watered by swift rivers and bold, 
crystal streams ; the scenery was charming and the 
climate was invigorating and delightful. The region 
was rapidly settled up, mainly by people of wealth and 
culture. Many of them were from middle Georgia; 
many came also from excellent families in South Caro- 
lina. They brought their gangs of negro slaves with 
them, and quickly established large, well-cultivated 
farms. The broad, fertile valleys lying between the 
lofty hills were splendidly adapted to the cereals, and 
abundant crops of corn and wheat were produced. For 
many years prior to the Civil War and during the Civil 
War, this section of Georgia was the great granary of 
the State. By the year 1840 nearly all of this blue 
limestone region was well settled by a very superior 
class of people, who soon - established churches, good 
schools and a civilization of refinement and culture. 

Georgia had at last spread her civilization to the ut- 
most confines of her present geographical limits ; but as 
vet she had not reached her full development. 



CHAPTER XX. 
GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS IN 1840. 

I. THE MOUNTAINS. 

In 1840 Georgia had, according to the United 
States Census, 691,^1:92 inhabitants, including 407,795 
whites and 283,697 negroes. 

Let us take a rapid bird's-eye view of Georgia and 
her people at this time. 

The State naturally divided itself into five principal 
sections, namely : The Mountains, the Up Country, the 
Cotton Belt, the Sea-Coast, and South Georgia. 

The Mountains embraced an irregular zone or belt 
stretching across the extreme northern part of the 
State. This section was sparsely inhabited by a peculiar 
and picturesque type of the Anglo-Saxon race known 
as mountaineers. They were uneducated and without 
ambition or aspiration. In personal appearance they 
were generally tall, raw-boned and muscular, and 
unshaven, unshorn and unkempt. They spoke with a 
rapid utterance and a quick, sharp accent; and their 
language was replete with provincialisms, such as 
*'mam" and "pap," 'we uns," "you uns," "yan," and 
"beyant." They were universally very poor and lived 

353 



354 



Gcoro-ia History Stories. 



in the rudest fashion. They knew not the common com- 
forts, much less the luxuries of life. Their homes, nestled 
in the mountain gorges, were rough log cabins, generally 
with only a single room, in which frequently a family of 
ten or twelve persons lived. Their food and clothing 

were corresponding- 
ly coarse and mea- 
ger. The moun- 
tain-sides, owing to 
roughness and steep- 
ness, were not ar- 
able, so their farm- 




From an old print. 

Cabin of a Mountain Settler. 



ing was confined to the narrow and contracted valleys, 
the lands of which were generally more or less sterile. 
Their principal crop was corn. This they converted into 
bread for eating and whiskey for drinking, for they were 
hard drinkers. Small herds of cattle grazing on the 
mountain-sides and a few hogs in a pen near the house 
furnished them with sparse rations of meat. They han- 
dled very little money. They would earn a few dollars 
by now and then selling "a bunch" of cattle, or a barrel 
of corn whiskey, or a few chickens, or a cart-load of 
apples, to their better conditioned and more civilized 
neighbors among the foothills to the south of them. 
They would have to journey many miles over the worst 




Georgia and Georgians in 1840. 355 

of roads to get this produce to mar- 
ket, but these tradmg expeditions 
were ahnost the only contact they 
had with the great world beyond 
their mountain peaks. They had 
no slaves, and there were no ne- 
A Mountaineer. groes among them. Many of them 

grew almost to manhood and womanhood without ever 
seeing a black face. Notwithstanding their limitations 
and deficiencies these people possessed certain sterHng 
virtues that command the respect of all men. They 

were brave, honest, independent, kind-hearted and hos- 
pitable. Though they 

were great drunkards 

and fighters, heinous and 

base crimes, such as 

murder and theft, were 

extremely rare among 

them. In the mountain- 
ous regions of northeast 

Georgia may still be 

found many specimens 

of this type of people 

but little changed after 

sixty years, or two gen- 



'-- --— '- ' - " -^-^=-i=-=^^^' 


-- ~m 


ZZZTJ^kr 


I 




Lb 


1 



Mountaineer Mother 
and Daughter. 



356 Georgia History Stories. 

erations. There are many others who have been con- 
siderably improved by contact with civiHzing influences, 
but none of the class has ever attained a high plane of 
civilization and culture. 

II. THE UP COUNTRY. 

Just below the mountains lay what was generally 
known in those days as the Up Country, so called be- 
cause it was in the upper or northern part of the State. 
It was also sometimes called ''the Hill Country," 
because it lay among the foothills of the Blue Ridge 
Mountains. 

The inhabitants of this region were much more ad- 
vanced in civilization than the mountaineers above them. 
Still they were a plain people, with little wealth and 
little education and with no great pretensions or lofty 
aspirations. They lived on small farms, which they 
worked with their own hands, for they owned few ne- 
groes or none. By hard labor they managed to dig 
a fair subsistence out of the stony and not very 
fertile soil. They usually had the common comforts 
of life, but were entire strangers to its luxuries. 
The principal products of the country were corn, wheat, 
rye, cattle and horses. The people were the shrewdest 
horse traders in the world. The "horse swapping conven- 
tions," held annually or semi-annually in the different 



Georgia and Georgians in 1840. 357 

towns and villages, were unique meetings and were full 
of ardor, life and business ability. There were also 
many distilleries in this region, which manufactured 
great quantities of corn and rye whiskey. Much of 
it was shipped and sold in other parts of Georgia, 
but much of it was also consumed by the people 
at home. They indulged extensively in hard drink- 
ing, which was their chief and most harmful vice. 
Gambling also was too common among them. Not- 
withstanding their vices, they were essentially a good 
and worthy people ; and when the temperance re- 
former, the religious revivalist, and the schoolmaster 
came among them they yielded readily, and gave up in 
large measure their wicked ways. These people con- 
stituted the true yeomanry of Georgia, and the State 
had reason to be proud of them. From this stock 
sprung some of Georgia's ablest and most notable men. 
This sketch does not apply to the "blue limestone" 
section of the hill country in northwest Georgia. As 
has already been stated, that region was settled from 
the beginning by people of wealth, culture, and refine- 
ment. 

III. THE COTTON BELT. 

Straight through the middle of Georgia from the 
Savannah to the Chattahoochee River stretched a broad, 



358 



Georgia History Stories. 




irregular zone of country, known as the ''Cotton Belt," 
so called because it was wholly given over to the rais- 
ing of cotton ; and, indeed, at that time it was sup- 
posed that the staple could not be successfully cultivated 

outside of that belt. 
This was by far the 
most flourishing part 
of Georgia. Here King 
Cotton had reigned su- 
preme and absolute for 
twenty years. He had 
From a print of ]S3i. brought great prosperity 

City Hall at Augusta, to his domain. He had 

built several large cities 
and a number of smaller 
towns. He had made 
many of his subjects 
very rich, and many 
more comfortable, inde- 
pendent, and well-to-do. From a trim of JS;]1. 
He had established as Medical College, Augusta, 

fine a civilization as ever existed on the face of the 
earth. 

The wealth of this section consisted mainly in lands 
and negroes. The small farms of twenty or thirty 




Georgia and Georgians in 1840. 359 

years before had practically disappeared, for they had 
been bought up by rich men who combined them into 
large plantations. Many very rich men owned several 
such plantations and counted their slaves by the hun- 
dreds. These princely cotton planters did not gener- 
ally live on their plantations. Their luxurious homes 
were usually in some city, or more frequently still in 
some smaller town, contiguous to their estates, where 
they could give personal attention to their business. 
The direct management of the plantations was in the 
hands of overseers, who lived on the plantations near 
the negro quarters. These overseers were generally 
men of energy and of fine judgment and executive abil- 
ity. They received good salaries, and some of the more 
thrifty of them accumulated considerable fortunes and, 
in the course of time, became themselves owners of 
plantations and negroes. 

The management of a great cotton plantation in 
those days was a good illustration of executive ability. 
The government was well-nigh perfect. The slaves 
were divided into gangs of plow hands, hoe hands, 
axemen, et cetera. There were also carpenters, black- 
smiths and other mechanics, all well trained in their 
various crafts. The discipline was very rigid, but 
rarelv ever cruel or over-severe. Absolute obedience 



360 Georgia History Stories. 

and hard work were required of every slave, and 
where these were not forthcoming, punishment by 
flogging with a leather strap was sure to be the penalty. 
These negro slaves were their owner's most valuable 
property, and his financial interest, to say nothing of 
humanity, made him take good care of them. They 
were well housed, well clothed and well fed. The 
weekly ration (or ''allowance" as it was called) of a 
field hand was a peck of meal, three and a half pounds 
of bacon and a pint of molasses. They were also sup- 
plied with the common vegetables in their season, such 
as turnip and collard greens, peas, and sweet potatoes. 
Their meat diet was varied by fresh beef now and then, 
and during ''hog-killing" time by an abundance of 
toothsome fresh pork. Each family was allowed a 
patch of land for a garden, and nearly every one had 
a hen-house full of chickens. The best available physi- 
cians attended the negroes in sickness, and educated 
white preachers were employed at good salaries to ad- 
minister to their spiritual needs. They "enjoyed re- 
ligion" keenly in an emotional way, but it had little 
influence on their morals, which were generally slack. 
The feeling between master and slave was usually 
of the happiest nature. They were deeply and warmly 
attached to each other. With all of the modern talk 



Georgia and Georgians in 1840. 



361 



about the ''universal brotherhood of mankind," the 
world will never again see such genuine love and affec- 
tion between the high and the low of God's human 




A Black Mammy and Her Charge. 

creatures as that which existed between the Anglo- 
Saxon master of the South and his negro slave. 

At the period of which we are speaking there were 
more negroes than whites in the cotton-growing re- 
gion of Georgia. They were a very superior class of 



362 



Geoycria History Stories. 



negroes. As stated in a previous chapter, most of them 
or their parents had been brought to this State from 
Virginia and Maryland. They were many generations 
removed from their savage and degraded ancestors who 
had been brought from Africa a century or two before. 

During all of these gen- 
erations they had been 
in constant and close 
contact with the best 
civilization of America, 
first in Virginia and 
Maryland and after- 
wards in Georgia ; and 
they had acquired, for 
people of their race, re- 
markable intelligence 
and a culture which, 
though purely imitative, 
was nevertheless verv 




Family Cook. 
Type of Middle Georgia Slave. 



genuine. All of the missionary societies in the world put 
together have never done as much for low, benighted and 
degraded peoples as was done for the Africans by the 
institution of Southern slavery. By that institution they 
were raised to a higher plane of civilization than they 
could ever possibly have attained by any other means ; 



Georgia and Georgians in 1840. 



363 



and under that institution they were, take it all in all, 
the healthiest and happiest people that ever the sun 
shone on. 

Besides the very wealthy planters above described, 
there was a much larger 
number who were not 
so rich, but still well-to- 
do, owning a score or 
two of slaves or less. 
This class generally 
lived on their planta- 
tions and took direct 
charge of their affairs 
without the aid of over- 
seers. There were also 
still left a number of 
small farmers, who 
worked their small 
places mostly or en- 
tirely without slave 
labor. These generally 




Mulatto House-^Iaid. 
Type of Middle Georgia Slave. 



lived in the "piny woods" sections, where the lands were 
comparatively sterile and very cheap. Some of these piny 
woods people were extremely poor and ignorant. The 
negroes regarded them with great contempt and called 



364 



Georgia History Stories. 




them "piny woods poor white trash." Like the moun- 
taineers of northeast Georgia, they were generally with- 
out ambition and hopelessly unprogressive. There are 
many specimens of them in the piny woods of middle 
Georgia and south 
Georgia to-day, little 
changed from their 
ancestors of two gen- 
erations ago. 

IV. THE SEA-COAST. 

From the City of 

A Mountaineer and 
His Wood Cart. 

Savannah south- 
ward, bordering 
on the shores 
of the Atlantic 
Ocean nearly 
down to the 
A Piny Woodsman and His Splinter Cart. Florida line, 

there was a strip of country known as "the sea-coast," 
or, as it was more commonly called, "the low coun- 
try." A more appropriate name than either of these 
would be (to adopt a Virginia phrase) "tide- water 
Georgia." The section embraced a large part of the 




Georgia and Georgians in 1840. 365 

present counties of Chatham, Bryan, Liberty, Mcintosh, 
Glynn, and Camden. The most characteristic feature 
of this region was the great rice plantations that occu- 
pied the low, rich, marshy lands along the river banks 
near the seashore and some of the islands just off the 
coast. 

The owners of these rice plantations were very 
wealthy men and lived in princely fashion. They usu- 
ally had two homes, one on the plantation, where 
they spent the fall and winter, and the other back in 
the upland piny woods, where they passed the sum- 
mer to escape the malaria of the iliarshes. Both es- 
tablishments were maintained in elegant style. Their 
owners were high livers. They indulged themselves in 
every luxury that money could buy in the State of 
Georgia at that time. Their homes were furnished in 
mahogany and rosewood, with solid silver service for 
the dining-room; their tables were supplied with rich 
viands and choice wines ; they wore costly clothes, rode 
in fine carriages, and were attended by troops of negro 
slaves. Their hospitality was proverbial. For hearti- 
ness and magnificence it was not surpassed or scarcely 
equaled anywhere in Georgia or in the South. But 
these rich sea-coast planters were high thinkers as well 
as high livers. Most of them were men of classical 



3GG Georgia History Stories. 

education and literary culture; their homes were sup- 
plied with good libraries, and they subscribed for the 
leading newspapers and magazines both of this country 
and of England. In political faith they were demo- 
crats, but by birth and rearing they were aristocrats in 
every fiber of their being. They were inclined to draw 
the social line sharply wherever they went. An illustra- 
tion of this may be found in the society caste system 
that prevailed in Savannah before the Civil War, and 
that exists there to some extent even to this day. 

The negroes who worked on these rice plantations 
were the lowest and most degraded of their race in 
Georgia. They were either native Africans or the chil- 
dren of native Africans. They had not been in Amer- 
ica long enough to become much civilized. In thought, 
feeling, and mode of living they were still in large 
measure savages, but most gentle and docile savages, 
as all Africans are. They were still under the influence 
of African superstition. Many African words were 
mingled with their English speech, and their accent was 
so peculiar that a stranger could scarcely understand 
them. They came very little in contact with the master 
and his family. They were in direct charge of white 
overseers, who maintained over them a rigid but not 
unduly severe discipline. Their work during three or 



Georgia and Georgians in 1840. 367 

four months in the year was very hard, but the rest of 
the time their tasks were exceedingly easy. They out- 
numbered the whites among whom they hved ten or 
twenty to one. They might have risen in insurrection 
and in a single night exterminated the whole white 
population, but no thought of rebellion or resistance or 
even of complaint ever entered their minds. They were 
perfectly content with their lot, as well they might be ; 
for, poor as their condition seemed, it was infinitely 
better than it ever had been or ever could possibly be 
in the jungles of Africa. Along the sea-coast of Georgia 
there are still many unmixed descendants of these lowly 
Africans of sixty years ago ; and, though they are much 
more civilized, they still preserve in many particulars 
the characteristics of their ancestors, as is shown espe- 
cially in their humble and submissive spirit and in the 
peculiar accent and lilt of their speech. 

The sea-coast plantations were not devoted entirely 
to the cultivation of rice; a number of them were given 
to raising sea-island or long staple cotton, which 
brought nearly twice the price of ordinary short staple 
cotton, and the production of which was an immensely 
profitable business. 

Back from and immediately adjoining the rice plan- 
tations were stretches of sterile pine lands, which were 



368 Georgia History Stories. 

occupied, as such lands nearly always were, by poor and 
ignorant people. They made rather a scanty living by 
cattle raising and by floating rafts of pine logs down 
the rivers to the sea to be sold to lumber dealers and 
shipped to various parts of the world. Between these 
inhabitants of the piny woods and their neighbors, the 
rich rice planters, there was almost no intercourse ; but 
it made no odds to the poor woodsman, for he was one 
of the proudest, most independent and self-sufficient of 
citizens. 

No other part of Georgia has perhaps suffered so 
great a change since the Civil War as this rice planting, 
sea-coast region. The great rice plantations and the 
rich rice planters, with their luxurious homes and mag- 
nificent display of wealth, have vanished like a dream. 
Thousands of acres of rice lands have been abandoned 
and have gone back to a state of nature, and are now 
unarable marshes and swamps. Other portions have been 
drained and converted into prosperous market gardens, 
conducted by energetic white men ; and other portions 
still are occupied in spots and patches by lazy negroes, 
who are content to dig a scanty living out of them. 
There are still left a few large fields cultivated in rice, 
just as they were more than a hundred years ago. The 
fine houses that were the homes of the wealthy ante- 



Georgia and Georgians in 1840. 369 

bellum planters are now, in some instances, occupied by 
negroes or very poor white people, and are fast going 
to rack and ruin. 

V. SOUTH GEORGIA. 

In Chapter XIX was given, in a general way, a de- 
scription of that broad zone of country known as south 
Georgia. The characteristic feature of this section of 
the State was the immense, unbroken pine forests that 
with dreary monotony occupied hundreds of thousands 
of acres of land lying for the most part as level as a 
parlor floor. These great pine forests were the pre- 
dominant feature of the country from the Altamaha to 
the Chattahoochee. They were not confined to the ex- 
treme south zone of the State, but covered a consider- 
able portion of what may be called east-middle Georgia, 
including, especially, Emanuel, Tattnall, Montgomery, 
and Dodge counties. Much of the land was too wet 
for culture, much of it a barren sand bed, and very lit- 
tle of it was naturally rich and productive. In the 
early days of the State the whole region was regarded 
as hopelessly barren and unfit for agricultural purposes, 
hence it w^as settled very slowly. 

The first people to move into these "pine barrens," 
as they were called, was a large colony of Scotch-Irish 
folk who came directly from North Carolina, where 



370 Georgia History Stories. 

they had been living for several years. About the year 
1800 they bought, for a merely nominal price, immense 
tracts of land in Montgomery and Telfair counties, and 
moved thither with their families. They were not 
farmers, but ranchmen or cattle-raisers, in a business 
that requires plenty of "elbow room." So these settlers 
spread themselves thinly over a large area of country, 
thus allowing a wide range for their cattle to feed on 
the wire grass, a peculiar grass that grows nowhere 
except in the so-called "pine barrens." 

These Scotchmen were a race of brave, sturdy, inde- 
pendent and thrifty people. They attached great impor- 
tance to education and maintained good schools where 
their children were well taught. In religion they were 
Presbyterians, and for many years their religious serv- 
ices were held in the Gaelic language. From this good 
Scotch-Irish stock of the wire-grass country has sprung 
a number of Georgians eminent in the professions and 
in public life. Many descendants of the original set- 
tlers still live in Montgomery and Telfair counties; 
others are widely scattered over the State, and wherever 
found they nearly all preserve the race characteristics, 
and are an excellent, energetic, prosperous folk. 

Besides these Scotch people, a good many Amer- 
icans from other parts of Georgia and from the Caro- 



Georgia and Georgians in 1840. 371 

Unas began about the year 1820 to move into the wire- 
grass regions. They were invariably very poor people, 
who were attracted to this region by the great cheap- 
ness of the lands. They were crude and ignorant, but 
in native abilities, possibilities and modes of life were 
superior to the mountaineers of north Georgia, already 
described. They were very thinly scattered over large 
areas of country. They wxre cattle rangers and wood 
rangers. They lived isolated and independent lives in 
their rude homes, w^ith which they were perfectly con- 
tent. Many years afterwards their descendants re- 
sponded readily to the civilizing and refining influences 
that were introduced among them, and many of them 
are now well educated people and among the most sub- 
stantial citizens of Georgia. 

This region of Georgia had its tragedies, as well 
as its life of Arcadian simplicity. In the early part of 
the nineteenth century, speculators bought up hundreds 
of thousands of acres of it at a very small price. They 
had it laid off in lots, had an attractive and lying map 
made of it, represented the lands as being exceedingly 
fertile and abounding in oak and hickory timber, and 
so beguiled many innocent persons in nearly all parts 
of the United States into buying the lots at prices from 
ten to fifty times as great as the speculators had paid 



372 Georgia History Stories. 

for them. Furthermore, it turned out that these scoun- 
drels had purposely had the lands falsely surveyed, in- 
cluding in their map many thousands of acres that had 
no real existence. When the innocent victims came 
from nearly all parts of the Union to Georgia to claim 
their property, they discovered that they had been out- 
rageously and cruelly swindled. In many instances 
they could not even find the parcels of land they had 
bought, and those that were found proved to be prac- 
tically worthless. The cheated purchasers sold out for 
a song, or abandoned their property and allowed it to 
be sold by the State for taxes. This stupendous swin- 
dle is known in Georgia history as ''The Pine Barren 
Speculation." 

Again, about the year 1830, a rich company of 
Maine lumbermen bought a vast tract of pine lands 
lying in Telfair and Dodge counties, with a view to 
converting the pine trees into lumber for shipment to 
all parts of the world. They erected on the streams a 
number of big sawmills with groups of workmen's 
shanties near by. But the business proved unprofitable, 
and after two or three years was abandoned, and the 
mills and shanties were left to rot down. The North- 
ern owners, however, continued from year to year to 
pay taxes on their lands, and thus kept good their titles 



Georgia and Georgians in 1840. 373 

to them. But as the years went by, many ''squatters" 
crept in and settled on these deserted lands; also a 
number of designing scoundrels, — deliberate land thieves, 
— who took possession of large tracts, laid them off 
in lots, covered them with bogus titles, and sold 
them out to innocent purchasers. After many years, 
nearly a decade after the Civil War, the Northern 
owners of this property, under the firm name of W. E. 
Dodge and Company, came to Georgia, showing per- 
fect titles to the lands. They immediately proceeded 
to oust the intruders, as they had a perfect right 
to do. There were many lawsuits ; but the courts de- 
cided in favor of W. E. Dodge and Company, as im- 
doubtedly they should have done. Then followed 
bloody and tragic times that made^ a mighty sensation 
throughout Georgia. The "squatters" and the innocent 
victims of the bogus titles had been living on these 
lands so long that they believed, or pretended to be- 
lieve, that they really belonged to them, and they re- 
fused to vacate. Conspiracies were formed against the 
agents of W. E. Dodge and Company, and several of 
them were assassinated in cold blood. The murderers 
were arrested and convicted. One of them was hanged 
and others were sent to the penitentiary for life. Of 
course, in the end all of the intruders were evicted (for 



374 Georgia History Stories. 

the arm of the law is strong), and Dodge and Company 
came into full i>ossession of their own. 

Down to the close of the War of Secession and for a 
number of years afterwards, this so-called "pine barren" 
region of Georgia was very sparsely inhabited, and 
mainly by very poor and ignorant people. You could 
ride from ten to twenty miles in many parts of it 
without passing a human habitation. By degrees, 
however, it was discovered that mixed with the pine 
barrens there were many acres of fertile hummock 
lands, and that the barrens themselves were not so 
barren after all. Railroads penetrated the country, and 
a rapid and wonderful development followed. The 
great pine forests yielded an enormous output of lum- 
ber and naval stores (tar, pitch and turpentine), which 
made fortunes for many men, and a substantial living 
for very many more. The hitherto despised lands, under 
careful cultivation and fertilizing, produced from year 
to year abundant crops of long staple cotton, Georgia 
cane syrup, tobacco and early vegetables for the North- 
ern markets. Thus within the past decade south 
Georgia has forged forward more rapidly than any 
other part of the State, and its population and wealth 
have increased enormously. It is to-day in material 
prosperity one of the most flourishing parts of Georgia. 



Georgia and Georgians in 1840. 375 

The proud citizen of this region might say without great 
exaggeration : "This stone rejected of the builders has 
become the chief corner stone of the temple!" 



INDEX. 



Adams, President John Quincy, con- 
troversy with Governor Troup, 
271-280; attitude toward Cherokee 
Indians, 292. 

Alexander, Samuel, murders Grier- 
son, 155, 156. 

Amelia Island, 45, 92. 

Andrews, Major T. P., investigates 
charges against Indian Agent 
Crowell, 267, 268. 

Angus, Mr., British stamp officer for 
Georgia, 125, 126. 

Anne, the, Georgia emigrant ship, 11, 
13, 14. 

Assassination of Cherokee Indian 
chiefs, 320. 

Augusta, city of, visited by Ogle- 
thorpe, 91; occupied and defended 
by Brown, the Tory, 148-150; 
siege and capture of by Americans, 
160-163. 

Baird, Colonel James, 141, 142. 

Baldwin County, 336. 

Banks County, 339. 

Bartow County, 352. 

Beaufort (S. C), town of, 14. 

Bibb County, 340. 

Big Warrior, Creek Indian chief, 
254, 255, 257. 

Block-houses, 327. 

Bloody Marsh, battle of, 104-106. 

Bolzius, Rev. Martin, Salzburg 
pastor, 59, 65, 67, 69. 

Boudinot, Elias, Cherokee Indian 
chief, 289, 320. 

Bowles, William Augustus, 225-231. 

Boyd, Colonel, killed at battle of 
Kettle Creek, 158. 

Brewton Hill, Savannah, 138. 

Brown, Colonel Thomas, Tory lead- 
er, career, 147-151; at siege of 
Augusta, 160-162. 



Brown, Mrs., scene with Alexander 
McGillivray, 221. 

Bryan, Jonathan, 133. 

Bull, Colonel William, 14, 15, 16, 
19, 25. 

Bulloch, Colonel Archibald, Presi- 
dent of Georgia, 132, 133. 

Cameron, Captain, killed at Savan- 
nah, 139. 

Campbell, Colonel Archibald, 137, 
140, 141, 143, 145, 157, 158, 165. 

Campbell, Duncan G., United States 
Indian Treaty Commissioner, 260. 

Caroline, Queen, receives Tomo-chi- 
chi, 35; wears dress made of 
Georgia silk, 67. 

Castell, Robert, dies in Debtors' 
Prison, 6. 

Chappell, Absalom H., his "Miscel- 
lanies of Georgia," 233, 250. 

Charter of the Georgia Colony, 8, 9. 

Chattooga County, 352. 

Cherokee Indians, general account 
of, 285; relations with Colonial 
Georgia, 285; in the Revolution, 
286; civilization of, 288-291; po- 
litical claims, 292-294; contro- 
versy with State of Georgia, 294- 
300; suits before United States 
Supreme Court, 301-308; Treaty 
of New Echota, 313, 314; expul- 
sion from Georgia, 316, 317; as- 
sassination of Treaty chiefs, 320. 
(See also Treaties with Cherokee 
Indians.) 

Cherokee Country, the, 349, 350. 

Cherokee County, 351. 

Clarke, General Elijah, 148-150, 157- 
164, 193, 196, 213. 

Clarke, John, 159. 

Cobb County, 351. 

Colonial Congress of 1765, why 



378 



Index. 



Georgia not represented at, 121; 
protest against the Stamp Act, 121. 

Colonial Dames of Georgia, erect 
monument to Tomo-chi-chi, 52; 
restore old Fort Frederica, 85; 
project monument to Oglethorpe, 
118; erect monument on site of 
old Fort Augusta, 163. 

Colonists, Georgia, character of, 112, 
113. 

Columbus, city of, 90, 348. 

Condition of Georgia at close of 
Revolutionary War, 322-324. 

Cornwallis, Fort, 161. 

Cotton, beginning of the cultivation 
of in Georgia, 339; becomes 
"King," 341; wealth and civiliza- 
tion produced by, 358; princely 
planters and management of plan- 
tations, 359-361. 

Coweta County, 89, 90, 347. 

Coweta Town, great council of 

. Creek Nation held at, attended by 
Oglethorpe, 89, 90; great council 
of Creek Nation held at, attended 
by Alexander McGiHivray, 208. 

Creek Indians, 27-33, 88, 93, 208- 
234, 251-281, (See also Treaties 
with Creek Indians.) 

Crowell, John, United States agent 
to Creek Indians, 258, 260, 267, 
268, 272. 

Cumberland, Duke of, his present 
to Toonahowi, 39. 

Cumberland Island, 44, 82. 

Curry, James, the traitor, 179, 180. 

Darien, town of, settled by Scotch 
Highlanders, 76. 

Daughters of the American Revolu- 
tion, obtain copy of Georgia Col- 
onial seal from London, 11; mark 
spot where Oglethorpe crossed 
Chattahooche River on way to 
Coweta Town, 90; project monu- 
ment to Oglethorpe, 117; erect 
marble memorial fountain- at 
Jasper Spring, 189; purchase 
Nancy Hart place in Elbert 
County, 203. 



Debtors' prisons in England, 5, 6. 

Dodge County, 336, 369, 372. 

Dolly, Quash, negro guide to Brit- 
ish army at capture of Savannah, 
137-141. 

Dooly, Colonel John, 158, 197-202. 

Ebenezer, Old, settled by Salzburg- 
ers, 62-64; abandoned, 65. 

Ebenezer, New, settled by Salz- 
burgers, 65, 66; during Revolu- 
tionary War, 71, 72; decay of, 72. 

Elbert, Colonel Samuel, 133, 137, 
138, 143. 

Elbert County, 154, 159, 192, 202. 

Emanuel County, 332, 369. 

Estaing, Count d*, at siege of Sa- 
vannah, 173-183. 

Eugene of Savoy, Prince, Oglethorpe 
serves under, 4, 5. 

Extinguishing of Indian land titles, 
251, 252, 256, 261. 

Florida, 8, 45, 74, 225. 

Floyd County, 352. 

Forsyth County, 351. 

Franklin County, 326, 329, 351. 

Frederica, town of, founded by 
Oglethorpe, 81, 82; progress and 
decay, 81-85; the "Thermopylae of 
Georgia," why so called, 101, 102. 

Frederica, Fort, built by Oglethorpe, 
82; ruins of, 85; in Spanish War, 
102. 

French, espouse American cause, 
173; army at siege of Savannah, 
174-183. 

Gaines, General Edmund P., investi- 
gation of Creek Indian affairs and 
controversy with Governor Troup, 
269-271. 

Gascoigne's Bluff, in Spanish War, 
102. 

George II., 8, 9, 34, 120. 

George III., 122, 131. 

Gilmer, Governor, 296, 297, 299, 302, 
304. 

Girardeau's plantation, landing of 
British at, 137, 140. 

Gold region, the, in Georgia, 298, 
299, 349, 350. 



1 n d e X. 



379 



Greene County, 329. 

Greene, General Nathaniel, 238. 

Grierson, Colonel, Tory leader, 155, 

156. 
Grierson, Fort, 155. 
Gronau, Rev. Israel, Salzburg pastor, 

69, 65, 67, 69. 
Gunn, James, connection with the 

"Yazoo Fraud," 237-240; death, 

247. 
Gwinnett, Button^ 133. 
Habersham, Joseph, 133. 
Hall County, 351. 
Hall, Lyman, 133, 210. 
Hancock County, 210, 247, 329. 
Harris County, 347. 
Harris, Joel Chandler, his "Stories 

of Georgia," 202, 215, 238. 
Hart County, 203. 
Hart, Benjamin, American Partisan 

captain, 192, 197, 201, 202. 
Hart, Nancy, 192-203. 
Haslan, William, British deserter, 

135. 
"Head Right," land title, 327. 
Henry, Patrick, speech against Stamp 

Act, 120. 
Highlanders, Scotch, in Georgia, 43, 

74-78, 80, 92, 95, 96, 103, 113, 139. 
Houston County, 340. 
Houston, George, 133. 
Howe, General Robert, 137, 138. 
Huger, Colonel, 137, 178. 
Indian affairs in Georgia in 1823, 

251-255. 
Indian Spring Treaty, 257-261. 
Jackson County, 351. 
Jackson, President Andrew, dealings 

with Cherokee Indian case. 307, 

309, 310, 313. 
Jackson, James, in the Revolution, 

164-172; fight against the Yazoo 

Fraud, 244-248. 
Jasper, Sergeant, in the Revolution, 

185-190; monument, 191. 
Jekyl Island, 43. 
Jerusalem Church of the Salzburgers, 

70-72. 
Jones, C. C, his "History of Geor- 



gia," 84, 107, 133. 

Jones County, 336, 340. 

Jones, Noble, 133. 

Land-claim tragedy, 372, 373. 

"Land Lottery," 334, 335, 340, 

Laurens County, 282, 336. 

Lee, "Light Horse Harry," 160, 166, 
167, 168. 

Lembke, Rev., Salzburg pastor, 69. 

Leopold, Archbishop, persecution of 
the Salzburgers, 55, 56. 

Lexington, Battle of, 131. 

Liberty Boys, the, 122, 125, 127. 

Lincoln, General, 167, 168, 174, 175, 
178, 183. 

Little Prince, Creek Indian Chief, 
254, 255, 257. 

Loyalists (see Tories). 

Lumpkin, Governor Wilson, 308. 

Lynah, Dr. James, 182. 

McCall, Colonel, American officer, 
160. 

McGillivray, Alexander, parentage, 
205; education, 206, 207; made 
chief of the Tribe of the Wind, 
207; becomes Supreme Chief of 
the Creek Nation, 208; in the 
Revolution, 208-210; connection 
with Oconee War, 210-225; op- 
posed by William Augustus 
Bowles, 230; character, 231-233; 
death and burial, 234. 

McGillivray, Lachlan, father of 
Alexander McGillivray, 204-207, 
209. 

McGirth, Colonel Daniel, Tory lead- 
er, 154, 155. 

Mcintosh, Chilly, 262, 264, 265. 

Mcintosh, Lachlan, 133. 

Mcintosh, William, parentage and 
character, 253, 254; speech at 
Broken Arrow, 255; leader at In- 
dian Spring Treaty, 257; murder 
of, 263-265. 

Mackay, Captain, Highland leader, 

77, 104, 105. 
Macon County, 341. 
]\Iadison County, 329, 351. 
Maitland, British officer, 174. 



380 



Index. 



Marshall, Chief Justice, decisions in 
Cherokee Indian cases, 302, 306. 

Mathews, Governor George, connec- 
tion with Yazoo Fraud, 242, 247. 

Mayham tower, at siege of Augusta, 
1G1-1G3. 

Milledge, John. 1G6. 

Meriwether County, 347. 

Meriwether, J., United States In- 
dian Treaty Commissioner, 257. 

Money-making period in Georgia, 
342, 343. 

Monroe County, 340. 

Monroe, President James, 256, 257, 
292. 

Monteano, General Manuel, in Span- 
ish War, 94, 107. 

Montgomery County, 329, 336, 369. 

Moosa, Fort, in Spanish War, 95, 
96. 

Morgan County, 336. 

Mountaineers, Georgia, 353-356. 

Muscogee County, 17, 23. 

Musgrove Creek, Savannah, 143, 178 

Musgrove, Mary, 17, 23. 

Negroes, great increase of in G'eor 
gia, 342; treatment of by whites 
359, 360; feeling between master 
and slaves, 361; superiority of cot 
ton-belt negroes, 361, 362; benefi 
cence of Southern slavery, 362 
363, 367; rice plantation negroes 
366, 367. 

New Inverness (see Darien). 

North Carolina emigrants to Georgia, 
328, 329, 331, 336. 

Oconee War, the, 213-224, 327, 328 

Oglethorpe, James, parentage, edu 
cation, and early career, 1-5 
prison reform measures, 6-8 
Georgia Colony enterprise, 8-12 
conference with Governor John 
son of South Carolina, 13, 14 
finding a location for colony, 15 
16; first meeting with Tomo-chi 
chi, 17; reception of Yamacraw 
visitors, 21-24; treaty with Lower 
Creek Indians, 30-33; visit to Eng- 
land, 34; expedition down Georgia 



coast, 40-49; kindness to Salz- 
burgers, 62-05; settles Darien with 
Scotch Highlanders, 74-77; settles 
Frederica, 79-83; builds forts 
down Georgia coast, 82; expedi- 
tion to Coweta Town, 90, 91; in 
Spanish War, 92-108; takes final 
leave of Georgia, 109; closing 
years of life, 114-117. 

Oglethorpe County, 58, 163, 246, 329. 

Palmer, Colonel, in Spanish War, 
95, 96. 

Panton, William, Scotch merchant, 
234. 

Patriots, 128, 145, 146, 157, 194. 

Perceval, Lord, 10. 

Pickens, Colonel Andrew, 158. 

Pine Barrens, 332, 345, 369. 

"Pine Barren Speculation," the, 371, 
372. 

Piny Woods Folk, 333, 346, 349, 
363, 364. 

Pitt, William, Earl of Chatham, 128, 
129. 

Population of Georgia in 1783, 1790, 
1800, 333; 1840, 353. 

Prevost, General, at siege of Sa- 
vannah, 174-177. 

Products, early agricultural in 
Georgia, 332. 

Pulaski, Count, career, 175; at siege 
of Savannah, 180; death of, 184; 
monument to, 184. 

Pulaski County, 336. 

Putnam County, 336, 340. 

Rabenhorst, Salzburg pastor, 68. 

Religious revivals, 338. 

Rice planters of Georgia, 365-369. 

Richards, IMajor, 43, 48. 

Ridge, John, Cherokee Indian Chief, 
289, 311, 320. 

Ridge, Major, Gierokee Indian 
Chief, 289, 311. 

Ross, John, Cherokee Indian Giief, 
289, 301, 311, 318. 

Royalists (see Tories). 

Rum trade, prohibition of by Ogle- 
thorpe and trustees, reasons for, 
111, 112. 



I n d V X. 



381 



St. Augustine, siege of by Ogle- 
thorpe, 94-98. 
St. Simons, Fort, built by Ogle- 
thorpe, 98; battle of, 101, 102. 
St. Simons Island, 41, 79-82, 98, 99. 
Salzburgers, the, persecution in 
Austria, 54-57; emigration to 
Georgia, 58-60; settlement and life 
in Georgia, 61-72; descendants, 73; 
compared with the Highlanders, 
75; lack of enterprise, 113. 

Savannah, founding of, 21-25; cap- 
ture of by British, 133-144; siege 
of by Americans, 173-183. 

Schermerhorn, Mr., United States 
Indian Treaty Commissioner, 313. 

Schools, Old Field, 338. 

Scotch-Irish in Georgia, 253, 288, 
329, 369-370. 

Scott, General Winfield, in Chero- 
kee Indian case, 317. 

Sea-coast region, 364-369. 

Seal, Georgia Colonial, 10, 11. 

Sehoy, Indian mother of Alexander 
McGillivray, 205, 207, 234. 

Senawki, wife of Tomo-chi-chi, 17, 
33, 35, 40, 50. 

Silk culture in Georgia, 67. 

Slavery, prohibition of in Georgia 
by Oglethorpe and trustees, rea- 
son for. 111, 112. 

Smith, Captain John, at capture of 
Savannah, 139. 

Sons of Liberty, 122, 126. 

South Carolina, 13, 14, 17, 25, 88, 
92, 93, 98, 99, 108, 159, 166. 

Spain and Spaniards, 8, 14, 42, 45, 
48, 72, 77, 87-108, 212, 223, 225, 
230. 

Speedwell, the, Georgia stamp ship, 
124. 

Stamp Act in Georgia, 120-130. 

States' Rights, 224, 270-281. 

Stevens, Rev. W. B., his "History 
of Georgia," 84, 133. 

Talbot County, 347. 

Tallassee Country, the, 214, 222, 344. 

Tassel, George, Cherokee Indian 
hanged for murder, 296, 297. 



Tattnall County, 332, 369. 

Telfair County, 336, 372. 

Thunderbolt Road, Savannah, lines 
of battle across, 138, 139. 

Tomo-chi-chi, first meeting with 
Oglethorpe, 17; visit and speech 
to Oglethorpe, 21-24; character, 
aid to Oglethorpe in founding 
Georgia, 27-49; death and burial, 
50-52; monument, 52, 53; un- 
selfish patriotism, 110. 

Toonahowi, adopted son of Tomo- 
chi-chi, 17, 33, 39, 44, 48, 106, 
107. 

Tories (Loyalists, Royalists), 128, 
132, 140, 145-149, 157-171, 194- 
202, 324. 

Treaty, with Cherokee Indians, of 
Augusta, 210; of 1819, 287; of 
New Echota, 313, 314. 

Treaty, with Creek Indians, of Sa- 
vannah, 30; of Augusta, 210; of 
G'alphinton, 214; of Shoulderbone 
Creek, 215; of New York, 222, 
223; of Coleraine, 225; of 1802- 
1804, 333; of 1821, 340; of Fort 
Jackson, 344; of Indian Spring, 
258. 

Triebner, Rev. Christopher, Salzburg 
pastor, 70, 71. 

Troup County, 347. 

Troup, Governor George M., 225-284. 

Trustees of Georgia, 9-11, 57, 110, 
111. 

Twiggs County, 336. 

Twiggs, General John, 172. 

Tybee Island, 15, 135. 

University of Georgia, founding of, 
338. 

L"p-country folk, 355-356. 

Van Buren, President, in Cherokee 
case, 316. 

Vinton, Lieutenant J. R., 277. 

Virginia emigrants to Georgia, 328- 
331, 339. 

Von Rek, Baron, leader of Salz- 
burg emigrants, 61, 62, 64. 

Walton, Colonel George, 133, 137, 
138. 



382 



I n d e X. 



Washington County, 326, 329. 

Washington, President George, 218, 
222, 225, 236. 

Watkins, George, 242. 

Wayne, General Anthony, 171. 

Weekachumpa, Creek Indian chief, 
31. 

Wereat, John, 164. 

Wesley, Rev. Charles, 83. 

Wesley, Rev. John, meetings with 
Tomo-chi-chi, 40; as Indian mis- 
sionary, 41 ; last visit to Tomo- 
chi-chi, 50. 

West Point, town of, 235, 275, 276. 

White House, Augusta, used as a 
fort by Brown, the Tory, 149, 
150. 

Whitfield, Rev. George, 50. 

Whitney, Eli, invents the cotton 
girt, 338. 

Wilkes County, 157, 158, 159. 

Wilkinson County, 336. 

William, Fort. 98. 99. 

Wilson, Judge Henry, connection 
with Yazoo Fraud, 239, 240. 



Worcester, Rev. Samuel A., connec- 
tion with the Cherokee Indian 
case, 304-308. 

Wright, James, Royal Governor of 
Georgia, loyalty to English Gov- 
ernment, 120; tries to get Geor- 
gians to submit to Stamp Act, 
121-128; character, 129, 130; 
flight to England, 131; return to 
Georgia, 146. 

Yamacraw Indian tribe, 16, 27, 28, 
53, 106. 

Yazoo Fraud, the, the Yazoo coun- 
try, 235; land speculators, 236; 
the Yazooists and their corrupt 
methods, 237-241; passage of the 
Yazoo Act, 241, 242; sale of 
lands by the speculators, 243; 
James Jackson's fight against the 
Yazoo Act, 244, 245; popular in- 
dignation against Yazooists, 246, 
247; repeal of the Yazoo Act, 
248; public burnings of the Yazoo 
records, 249; settlement of the 
Yazoo claims, 250. 



MAR 27 1909 



i 



Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. 
Neutralizing Agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: 




JfJN 
BBRREEPER 



PRESERVATION TECHNOLOGIES. LP. 
Ill Thomson Park Drive 
Cranberry Township, PA 16066 
(724)779-2111 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 





005 416 452 A 



